Crew Lounge
Starbase Thrinacia
0850
Malone and Elvria walked into the crew lounge, a huge auditorium size relaxation area somewhere on the promenade. More than a 1000 members from different ships were there, awaiting clearance for their assignments.
Elvira looked around her trying to take in everything as they walked into the huge room, "So my team are somewhere in here then?" she asked as she stayed just behind Mal.
Malone nodded, scanning around the room for the group standing out for the Agamenmon.
"Oh there they are." Nodding towards a group standing in the centre of the room. Started to make their way over.
Elvira followed him across the room to the medium sized group in the centre of the room, she was starting to feel nervous again . . . she always did when meeting so many new people in one go.
Someone in the group looked at Malone as he approached with a lovely female.
"Hey guys. Captain on approach" He said as he stood up. The group stood to attention as they approached.
"At ease guys." He said with a smile.
"I take it you are waiting for assignment for the USS Agamenmon?" He asked as he looked at his PADD, checking the IDs of the group around him.
"Aye Sir, we are all awaiting permission to board her Sir." the officer said in a formal tone though he now stood at ease along with the rest of the group. Behind him some of the others talked amongst them selves as they looked at Elvira and Mal, one of the men who had looked Elvira over leaned towards his friend and said. "She has got to be an engineer, no way a security officer can look that good or be that small. Though I would not say no to her, if ya know what I mean." he said in a tone that clearly spelt out exactly what he meant.
Malone looked up at them.
"Yep, and your first order is to take that giant pole out of your ass and relax." He said.
"If I want a flag pole, I'd have a shovel and dirt to put you all in." He said in attempt at humour.
"I'm not the most important person at the moment I can tell, so I'll her to introduce herself to you. ASCTO Marriot please come forward."
Marriot nodded and stepped forward as told
Marriot stepped forwards going a bit red in the face as he had not been paying attention to what the Captain was saying, as he stepped forwards he got an even closer look at Elvira and liked what he saw. The more he looked at her the more certain he was that she would be an engineer, but then why would she be the most important out of the two of them. She was only a LT so she didn't out rank the Captain, then it sank in and he went an even deeper shade of red.
Elvira kept her face free of emotion as she stepped forwards, "Thank you Sir." she then looked at the assembled men and women, most of them were wearing the gold of security and engineering though their stances told her most of them were security. "I am Lt Elvira Dark Chief Security and Tactical Officer for the USS Agamenmon, I look forwards to serving with you all. Know this though anything that has been said and done up to this point in time has not happened as far as I am concerned, from this moment on I expect you all to behave as true Starfleet Officers or feel my wrath." she said her voice hard and cold as steel.
Marriot's reaction was contagious, as others gulped along with the engineers.
Malone looked up.
"The same expectation comes from me as well. Were not going to be boarding just yet, but I would like everyone to soon start to get their luggage prepared to transfer to their quarters onboard the ship." He said.
"I do notice we have some wrench handlers mixed in. If your engineering, please step out for a second." He said.
The assembled men and women started to split into their sections, there were 8 engineers amongst the security officers. Marriot stood at the front still his mouth agape as he tried to think of something to say, something that would make up for what he had said and she had obviously heard. He stepped closer to her "Ma'aM I would like to . . ." was all he managed to say before Elvira stepped right up to him and spoke very softly.
"Lt Marriot unless you wanna find out just how cold hard and down right evil I can be I suggest you keep it zipped, Understood?" she asked her voice low enough that Mal was the only other person that would hear what she said.
Malone heard it alright. He gulp silently and looked up.
"Alright...um. As far as I'm aware, not of the security team is here at the moment so were going to wait a few before we begin to board. I do have you all be aware, that there is a ceremony later this evening by the CinC so I expect you all be there and yes it is a formal occasion." He said.
"And yes you have permission to quickly whine or aww man if you have the urge to, now." Malone said.
On cue, several of the members whined lightly and sighed at the wearing of their formal uniform.
Elvira stepped back so she was once move stood just behind Mal, she was stood at ease but said nothing like everyone else she hated wearing her dress whites. Though she had a feeling she would not like what Mal would do to her if she failed to turn up, she could think of no reason short of being dead that would get her out of it. Marriot stepped back into the crowd of men and tried to disappear but knew he had already drawn to much attention to himself for that, he knew that she would now be watching his every move.
"Dark, Marriot, you guys get acquainted with your team. I have to head back to see if any of the other chiefs arrived yet." He said turning around, then lightly patted Elvira's shoulder.
"Go easy on'em." He said with a smile.
"He's still standing ain't he?" she asked softly and winked at him.
Malone chuckled and shook his head.
"Have fun. I'll be at my station quarters if needed." He said and continued out towards the door.
Marriot and the security group watched as he left and then their attention shifted to Elvira.
Elvira chuckled and then turned her attention back to her team, "Ok like I said everyone has a fresh slate with me, do your job and don't screw up and it will stay clean. I am not an uptight prude, I know you all like to blow off steam and don't care as long as you keep out of trouble when ya do. If I get any reports of anyone behaving in a way unbecoming of a member of Starfleet Security they shall find themselves wishing they were marines, now relax and ensure you have all your kit." she said as she moved over to speak in a move relaxed and friendly tone with Marriot.
Marriot looked over at Elvira as she approached. His face slightly turned red ,and he didn't move as she came closer.
"Relax I am not about to tear you apart, we got to work together and I would prefer you not to be turning various shades of red every time i come near ya." she said softly.
Marriot blurred even more into red. He waved his hand infront of his face to cool it down.
"Yea..right..." He said with a shy smile.
"I'd be honoured to work along with you ma'm." He said.
"My name is Elvira and unless we are on duty I expect ya to use it, Understood?" she asked softly smiling at him as she tried to make him relax.
Marroit nodded and smiled abit more.
"Gotcha. Nice to meet you Elvira. Martin Marriot"
"Good to meet you Martin, I look forwards to working with you. Now I think one of the first things we need to do once we get aboard is sit down and get to know each other, that way we know what to expect of each other." she said with a slight grin.
Marriot nodded.
"That would be.. nice." He said with a slight pause. His mind attempted to combat the thought that arose just now.
"Come on lets get this rabble ready to move out." she said then turned and started getting the rest of the team together with their gear.
Marriot nodded and followed suit.
A JP by
Flt.Captain Malone Martize
and
LT Elvira Dark
NPC's played by both
Location: Starbase Thrinacia, Personal Quarters
Time: 0900 hours
After visiting with Admiral Malloway and getting quarters squared away, Ornixen started to put away his belongings when the Firestorm contacted him.
I have docked with the station sir. Standard security field has been enabled.
Thank you, Firestorm. Any word from Dianar Command?
We have received one message from Kuchaba Ilinar, wishing you the best of luck
Alright then. Go ahead and go into shutdown mode until further notice.
As he finished his telepathic communication with his ship, he noticed a message on the terminal in his quarters.
Quote:TO: United Federation of Planets Defence Fleet Commanding Officer
FROM: Malloway, S. Admiral, Fleet Commander
RE: Cermony and Debrief
LOCATION AND TIME OF DEBRIEF: Starbase 402 'Thrinacia', Conference Room Alpha, 1300 hours, Stardate 65784
LOCATION AND TIME OF CEREMONY: As above, @ 1900 hours, Main Gallery
DEBRIEF ATTENDEES: Commanding Officers, Executive Officers
CEREMONY ATTENDEES: All Officers and Crew
ATTIRE: Duty Uniform for Debrief, Dress Uniform for Ceremony
Hmm, formal attire, should be interesting Ornixen thought to himself as he reached out his hand and pulled his staff to him. Focusing his magical energies, he opened a window to the communication center of the Wizard's Tower.
"High Wizard Ornixen!" the adept watching the portal exclaimed.
"Adept, please summon the Archmagus," Ornixen requested, calmly.
"Of course, my lord," the adept said, bowing as he raced out of view. A moment later, a wizened old man came into view.
"Archmagus R-Lin, it is good to see you again," Ornixen greeted.
"Well, very well, all things considered."
"I thought you may want to know that an Iconian Gateway has been activated by fledglings. Remarkable, using what appears to be a derivative of Lekona technology, combined with their own."
"Do you feel there is a chance of them reaching us?"
"Not likely, as the meta-particles in this region are stable. As far as I can tell, the nearest magic-sensitive race is in the Pegasus galaxy, but, as you know, Magic is an unpredictable thing."
"Very true. Stay mindful, especially amongst those of your heritage. You may be a kaba, but you are also Dianese and human. Remember that."
"I will, my friend. I have one request, though. I left the Book of the Hawk in my study. Could you send it to me?"
"Of course. When would you like it?"
"I've got a ceremony to go to this evening, so I'll contact you tomorrow and we can create the link then."
"Sounds good."
"Until tomorrow," Ornixen said, releasing the energy of the portal and sitting down to familiarize himself with the Federation computer system.
TAG Open.
USS Independence
Captain's Ready Room
1135 hours
After the crew rotations had begun and he had bid farewell to the outgoing personnel, Zack had retired to his Ready Room to review the service dossiers of their replacements. Most of them had fairly impressive service records, but a few were relatively undistinguished. Zack liked to think that he had pretty good instincts about people, so a lot of the time he went with his gut about staffing decisions. Zack knew that the Independence was not by a long shot the most glamorous or high-profile assignment; nonetheless he still tried hard to make everyone's stay on his little ship as painless as possible.
The incoming XO, Commander Jaden Thomas, had a quite impressive record of service under Commodore Mantrix Lanix. Zack did not kow the Commodore personnally, only by reputation; what Zack did know of the esteemed Commodore impressed him greatly and influenced his decision to offer the XO post to Commander Thomas. If Commodore Lanix had faith in her and her abilities, that was good enough for Zack. Equally impressive was the record of Lieutenant Rylen Lyo, the incoming Science Officer. Zack had met the young Trill man back in 2374 when Lyo had been aboard the Vermillion as a midshipman Cadet. The Trill transferred off that ship following graduation, and later he was joined to the Lyo symbiont who has nearly a millenium of life experience from 15 different hosts. Zack had kept up with Lyo's career and had offered him the Science Officer's slot when it became vacant. Lyo had been excited to accept.
Zack continued to work in silence, watching the chronometer intently to ensure that he was on time for the debrief with Adm. Malloway. He had yet to recieve acknowledgement from his XO that she was aboard and accounted for, but he expected to hear from her in due time.
{Tag: Jaden Thomas, Rylen Lyo, John HAven?}
OOC: posting as Both Leanna Michaels and Megan Goodyear
Starbase Thrinacia
Leanna Enroute to Goodyears office
Commander Leanna Michaels had just gotten off her shuttle from her last assignment. With her shoulder bag still on her she headed to the Office of the Director of Security and Tactical. As she approached the door she rang the chime and straigtened out her uniform.
"come in" a womans voice came from the room. the door opened and Leanna puts her stuff down and stood at attention.
"you wanted to see me Commander Goodyear?" she asked. Megan looked up and smiled at her.
"yes Commander Michaels have a seat." she said getting up to go to her replicator. "can i get you anything?" she asked her. Leanna nodded slightly.
"yes can i have a coffee black?" she asked. Megan nodded and did so getting one for herself and sat down.
"i asked you here Leanna cause i know of your record as a security officer. Its impecible and i commend you. You have been the Chief of the Madison for quite some time. And i think you deserve a higher position, which is why your new assigment will be as the Executive office of the USS Agamemon." She informed her. Leanna looked up at her slightly chocking on her coffee.
"Me?" she asked shocked. Megan chuckles and nods.
"yes you Leanna. I know youre up for it and you can do it. You've proven yourself in the past few months . your captain is waiting for his crew. He's the CO of the Taskforce actually. I think he's on his way to his ship but not certian. His name is FLeet Captain Malone Martize." she informed her. Leanna sat there for a mintue and then nods.
"understood. Anything else ma'am?" shea sked and Megan nods.
"in a few hours there will be a ceremony. Dress is Dress Casual and you need to be on time." she told her and Leanna nodded again.
"yes ma'am." she resonded standing up and grabbing her stuff." thank you ma'am." she headed out when Megan had dismissed her. Leanna headed to the Agamemon.
TAG: all
STARBASE THRINACIA, Merenion Nebulae Cluster
Starbase Commander's Office
1045 hours
Steve sat back in his chair, placing the last PADD atop the single pile that now sat to his left on the surface of the desk. He was finally up to date, which was a good thing too as the stack of PADDs had began to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa; one more PADD and the thing would lose balance and topple.
His gaze scanned around his office for a moment, breathing lightly as he smiled. Almost 4 years he'd held this office and so many memories, both good and bad, flooded through his mind as he sat there in silence. The walls would speak a thousand stories if they could, a number of them ones he was not proud of. But alas, they had happened and made him the man he was today.
Steveâs eyes stopped on one of the framed pictures that sat on his desk, and he paused for a moment looking at the 3 figures. He smiled crookedly as they sat with their arms round each other. He chuckled as he thought of his daughter; 3 years old in that picture, but now 18 and in the Academy. He then shifted his mind to the other two; himself and his now ex-wife. He hadnât seen Emily in almost 10 years, and even then that was awkward enough. Theyâd been married 10 years, and Jenna had been 8 when the divorce had gone through. Time flew when ya didnât think about it.
The hardest part was not having seen his daughter in almost 3 years now. His littleâun as he used to call her. He thought back to all the birthdays sheâd had, smiling as images flashed across of her jumping for joy at all her cakes and indeed the presents. His chest then tightened and the smile disappeared as the thought of all those heâd missed. Birthdays, Christmas, school plays and so much more. Not much of a Father if you thought about it. Sure, heâd kept in touch via subspace, but it wasnât the same as actually being there; feeling the smaller being place her arms around your neck as you walked in the door and whisked her up to cuddle her close. Knowing that for that small space of time that she was safe. Then, leaving. His career had not helped his family life, and he knew it. And sufficed to say, heâd paid well for the mistakes heâd made in choosing to progress further in Starfleet.
âAnyway.â Steve blinked hard, standing up and tugging the front of his tunic straight as we walked around his desk. âTime to get the grind working.â He mused lightly, walking to the door back into the Command Centre, leaving his past where it belonged; tucked away.
âAdmiral on deck!â He heard one of the younger, new, officers call out; immediately the new arrivals turned and stood to attention. Those that knew Steve on the other hand, carried on.
âAs you were.â Steve replied, allowing himself a small smile and slight shake of his head as he watched everyone carry on with their tasks at hand. Heâd allow them that one for this one time, maybe the senior officers would bring the newer ones up to speed. âDonât call out when the Admiral appears. Everyone knows when heâs aroundâ. Steve chuckled as he recalled the expression heâd overheard a few months back, stepping into the turbolift as he noticed Connor wasnât on the deck. Must be sorting out Targus or the last of the preparations for this evening and afternoon. He thought to himself. Heâd not had Connor onboard long, a few months, if that, he couldnât remember exactly, but had come to understand that the Commander was not one for slacking. If he wasnât to be seen, he was definitely getting something sorted. A quality Steve was glad Connor possessed.
âGuest quarters.â The Admiral called out, realising the doors had closed and he wasnât moving. It had been a long past 24 hours. At least, that was his excuse. As he felt the small vibrations rumble beneath his feet, he looked slowly around the inside of the turbolift cab. Something felt different about the station, he couldnât quite put his finger on it either; but yet it was a good different. âWell I hope it is.â He muttered aloud, looking ahead as the cab stopped and the doors parted smoothly. One good thing about having a fairly recently commissioned Starbase â everything was in working order.
As he continued down the corridors, Steve smiled, nodded and acknowledged his crew that passed him, stopping occasionally to speak to some of them, getting to know a couple here and there. He respected each and every one of them, and took every opportunity to show them all in turn whenever he could. Stationed so close to the Cardassian border, it wasnât an easy assignment for people to understand; well, understand was probably the wrong word, but with the assignment here came some slight unease about the location. With the past history the Cardassians had, who knew what would lay around each corner. Luckily for the crew the Cardassians didnât know about the Gateway yet⦠but, once they did, it certainly wouldnât help to put everyoneâs minds at ease.
âAdmiral.â Steve looked up as he turned a corner, seeing the two security officers stood either side of Ornixenâs door, one of which having had addressed him.
âLieutenant?â He replied quizzically. He hadnât authorised the detail. âAnd why might you be here?â He asked, standing directly infront of them both. âInfact, nevermind. Ambassador Ornixen,â He addressed the Kuchaba with a Starfleet rank, allowing the subordinates to realise his status, âis a guest under my own personal invite. Now bugger off and donât crowd him unless ordered by myself, and myself alone.â He winked as he grinned at the two officers.
âYessir.â They both replied at once, smiling back as they realised Steve meant no offence, marching off down the hall momentarily.
âYoungsters.â He mused quietly, reaching out to touch the panel to Ornixenâs quarters, hearing the muffled âbleepâ of the chime within.
TAG: ORNI
Admiral Steve Malloway
Commanding Officer, USS Eagle
Joint Fleet Commanding Officer, Starfleet Strategic Response Fleet
Training and Personnel Developments Director, and Internal Verifier
[Please note: the following is a joint-posting by Lt. Lyo and Captain Zack Gillibrand, done via Yahoo Messenger]
USS Independence
11:45 hours
As he appeared on the transporter pad, Rylen clutched his queasy stomach slightly. He did not know many joined Trills that tolerated Starfleet transporters well, and he was certainly no exception. Every time he went through the cycle he felt as if he had been sucker-punched in the gut. Rylen sighed heavily as the nausea started to fade away and stepped off the transporter pad. He instructed the on-duty Chief Petty Officer to have his luggage put in his quarters, deck three section five. Rylen exited the transporter room, then asked the computer where the Captain was. The feminine voice replied that the Captain was in his Ready Room; since Rylen was already in the deck one transporter room, he decided now was as good of a time as any to report in to his Commanding Officer. Rylen and then-Lieutenant Gillibrand had served on the Bellerophon in 2374 when the young Trill was still a midshipman Cadet and not yet Joined. Rylen had not seen the Captain in person since 2378, although they had kept in touch and talked regularly vis subspace. Rylen touched a panel on the wall lightly and heard a chime sound. He waited nervously for a response.
Captain Zack Gillibrand raised his delicate cup to his lips and took a long drink of his Vulcan spice tea, one of his favorite non-alcoholic drinks in the known galaxy. He jumped slightly as the chime rang, almost making him spill some of the deep amber yellow liquid on the front of his uniform. Zack set down the cup gently, pulled up something random on his computer screen so that he looked busy, and gave the order for whomever it was to enter.
Rylen stepped gingerly into the office, letting the door hiss loudly shut behind him. Although he knew Zack very well personally, he had absolutely no idea what type of Commanding Officer he was; therefore, he decided to err on the side of caution and be as formal as possible until ordered to do otherwise. He stepped in front of the desk and stiffened as he came to attention.
"Lyo, Lieutenant Rylen," he said. "Starfleet Service Number 226-18525-6175, reporting for duty as Chief Science Officer as ordered, Sir."
Zack almost laughed. Lieutenant Lyo was being so formal and following protocol so closely that it was actually quite entertaining. He smiled broadly and waved his hand dismissively.
"At ease, Rylen," he said, gesturing toward the chairs in front of him. "Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"
"A raktajino, iced, if you don't mind Sir," said Rylen as he eased himself into the chair closest to the Captain.
"And enough of this 'Sir' nonsense. We've been friends for twelve years--I think we're beyond that, don't you?" said Zack as he placed the cup of Klingon-style coffee on the desk in front of his friend.
"I thought we were, but since you're my CO now I thought things might change between us. They usually do."
"Well not this time. You're still stuck with me on your friends list."
"I can deal with that," said Rylen with a slight smirk.
"I thought you might," said Zack, smirking a little himself. He took a moment to look his old friend up and down, very impressed with what he saw. The years have definitely been kind to him, Zack thought. He's even more handsome than I remembered.
"Well anyway, I just wanted to report in, let you know I'm here.
"So noted. Remember, there's that ceremony at 1900 in the Main Gallery. I expect you to attend--dress uniform."
"I hate dress uniforms."
"Me too--but this comes straight from Admiral Malloway. No getting around it."
"Understood," said Rylen, picking up his cup of iced raktajino. "See you there, Captain."
"Likewise. Dismissed."
[open tag]
[Multi-Post: Malone Martize | Malcome Martize | John Haven]
[Malone Martize]
Starbase Thrinica - Cordoor to Agamenmon
11:48 HOURS
Malone walked along the cordoor, preoccupied with his manifests on mind. He kept walking, only to accidently walk into someone.
"Oh my apologises." He said, looking up after recovering from the quick stumble.
The man was a security officer and from the badge on his collar, he was a chief.
"My apologies, Captain." The officer said.
"Do you know where I can find Captain Gilliabrand?" He asked.
'Gilabrand...' Malone thought for a moment. He remember seeing the name on the TF Manifest and the dock number.
"Ah yes, he'll be at Dock 7. His starship I believe is the USS Independence if I remember correctly." He said.
The officer nodded.
"Aye. Thank you captain." He simply replied and walk off on his way.
Malone continued on, down the way, walking to up the hallway. His eyes spotted another lovely female enroute ahead of him.
(Tag Leanna)
[John Haven]
North Hallway
11:46 HOURS
John Haven has just stepped off the USS Carpathia European Class Cruiser. After walking through the security gate, he grabbed his bags off the detector and walked on.
As he came up, he accidently bumped into someone.
"Oh my apologies..." He heard the man said. Haven looked up at the man, who apparrently walked into him without paying attention.
"My apologies, Captain" He said quickly looking at the rank. This man held the rank of Fleet Captain, and he was about to curse this guy out. To move on, he wondered, since this guy was leading a larger group, if he would know what port the ship he was to take on his new role on.
"Do you know where I can find.." He pasued, looking at the padd infront of him, "Captain Giliabrand?" He asked.
The Fleet Captain nodded.
"Ah Yes, his ship, the USS Independence is in Dock 7." He replied.
"Aye, thank you, captain." Haven replied and continued on down the hall, watching the dock numbers decrease.
It wasn't long before he stepped onboard the Independece.
(Tag Zack, sorry for poor posting. At work xP)
(OOC: Posting at Leanna Michaels)
Starbase Thrinicia
Enroute to Agamenmon
Leanna walks along with her bag over her shoulder as she looks at the padd. she had looked over the schematics about the Agamenmon before and thought she saw a glimpse of it outside as she had come in earlier. She stops when she comes to the Docking bay that had the ship. She looks out the window and whispers. "wow.. what a ship.. " she muttered under her breath. she turned around when someone approached her and she reconized it was the captain of the ship by his profile she had read eariler. "Fleet Captain Martize? I'm commander Leanna Michaels.. your new XO for the Agamenmon. I noticed you by reading your file earlier." she introduced herself with a smile on her face.
TAG: Malone
Captain's Ready Room
USS Independence, NCC-57216
1147 hours
Just moments after the Science Officer left, the door chime rang again and Zack gave them the okay to enter. It took him a few seconds to recognize his new Executive Officer, Commander Jaden Thomas. He had not paid attention to her profile photo, but he had remembered the major details--medium height and weight, blonde hair and blue eyes. Certainly not unattractive. Zack smiled and rose from his chair as she entered and approached the desk.
"You wished to see me Captain?" she said.
"Commander Thomas," he said with an outstretched hand to shake. "Welcome to the Independence. I've just been reviewing personnel files of our incoming officers. We've got some good talent, it would seem."
"Anything interesting in there Sir? I think an officer should be given a chance to prove there record wrong if it is bad and right if it is good. I don't read them other than to find out training history."
"I tend to do similar, although I also read the evaluations of their previous CO's and supervising officers to see if they believe there is room for improvement. Then I evaluate them myself informally. Oh...I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Please have a seat, make yourself at home." The XO unzipped her uniform jacket and took it off, putting it on the back of the chair and sitting down. "You don't stand on ceremony, Commander. I like that. I tend to run a pretty casual ship."
"So whats the plans Sir?" she asked.
"Well for starters you can dispense with the 'Sir' nonsense unless there are Fleet brass in the room. Captain is fine, or even Zack. I sent you the details of the upcoming meetings in my first communique to you. Debrief by the Admiralty at 1300 in Conference Room Alpha on the Starbase, duty uniform dress. Ceremony at 1900 in the Main Gallery of the Starbase, dress uniform required. Some of the details of this project are available to you under file 'Epsilon Ico Delta' in the main computer. The rest is eyes only, classified, and you'll get that information at the debrief. Once this ceremony is done and over with, we'll be heading out to Sector 575 for a mapping survey mission. It's just beyond the Federation border, and its being considered for colonization. Should prove to be uneventful. Any questions?"
[tag: Jaden]
JP between Ethan Trane and Donald McGriff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USS BRAVEHART, docked with STARBASE THRINACIA, Merenion Nebulae Cluster
CO's Ready Room
0815 hours
"Computer, upon said command, update the roster and files as necessary." Donald called out, looking over his shoulder for a moment as he heard his doorchime sound. He paused, turning to look back out of the porthole at the other docked ships nearby. "Come." He said calmly, sighing somewhat as he turned to face Ethan walking in, waiting for his door to slide closed with small hiss. "Have a seat, Commander." He offered a vacant chair with a gesture of his hand as he took up his own seat, feeling his buttocks meet the familiar moulding in the cushion. I must have put on weight. He mused to himself.
Ethan heard the Captain call for his entry. Though it was usually never a good thing to be called to the Captain's ready room, he knew he hadnât done anything warranting discipline. As the doors parted revealing the interior of the room, Ethanâs mind was still busy at work throwing around ideas as to why he had been called here. Stepping over the threshold, Ethan looked around momentarily finally spotting the Captain at his desk. Walking up, Ethan stood at attention and reported in.
âCaptain, Commander Ethan Trane reporting as ordered, sir!â
Always better to be too formal than too casual. he thought as he waited for a response.
"Ethan, relax." Donald grinned, waving his hand delicately to one of the chairs. "Sit, sit. I take it you're wondering why I called so early?" He mused, leaning back in his own seat and clasping his hands in his lap, looking directly at Ethan.
Ethan relaxed a bit; though he wasnât sure his face hid the wonderment that filled his mind. Looking at the chair, Ethan moved towards it and sat placing his elbows on the arms and his hands on clasped together in front of him.
âI must admit, sir, that you caught me a bit off guard. I wasnât expecting to be called here until the briefing that the repairs were finished.â
Though a thousand thoughts flew through his mind at warp nine, Ethan pushed them aside and focused on what was to come.
"Well, you know how smoothly these Starbase Engineers make repairs go... We could be here a while." Don mused, mentally picturing himself beating the crap out of the Starbase CEO for not meeting any deadlines.
He looked over at Ethan for a moment, considering the Commander sat on the other side of his desk as he leant forward onto the surface and clasped his hands together. "Ethan." He stopped, breathing once through his nose a little before continuing. "You're-" He stopped again, rethinking his strategy. "Have you ever considered a Command position before?"
Ethan thought nothing of the question. It wasn't the first time he'd had this question posed. "Well, sir," Ethan began, "I haven't thought about that in a very long time. I haven't needed to. The last few ships I've been assigned to had very capable Captains, present ship included."
Ethan relaxed a bit more, it seemed it was going to be the normal discussion perhaps with the offer to send him on the command track and an assignment as XO somewhere. He hoped this assignment would have lasted longer than this.
"I do suppose I would consider it more than I have in the past now that I am farther in my career, if you would call that an answer." Ethan smiled and let the Captain continue.
Donald nodded as he grinned, unclasping his hands and patting the desk once. "Good, I'm glad." He stood, walking round the corner to look out of the porthole as he continued. "The Braveheart is a very special ship to me, Ethan." He ran his hand slowly down the edge of the bulkhead around the window as he thought back over the 8 years he'd been onboard as her Commander, before turning around. "She and I have been through a lot, y'know, and I wouldnt leave her without knowing she would looked after in the way she deserves." He stopped, looking at Ethan, realising he sounded like someone talking about a pet, or family member. But, thats what the Braveheart was to him; family.
Ethan sat listening to the Captain. "Yes, sir, she is a good ship and does deserve to be treated well." Ethan's train of thought lead him to believe that the Captain was going to offer the position of second officer, seeing as that was the general progression. At best he might be considering the Executive Officer spot, but that was highly unlikely.
"Sir, if I may, why are you talking about the ship like this?" Ethan despised sugar coating, saying things up front and to the point. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so well.
Donald laughed once, almost a heavy breathe as he moved across from the window to lean on the edge of his desk and fold his arms. "I'm stepping down from Command, Ethan. After what happened with Nella and Kitty, I... I think it's best. I need to know that the one person I'd like to see command the ship knows that she's not just a ship, but something so much more..." He paused, looking from his hands to Ethan. "Commander Trane, if you would consider it, I have asked Admiral Malloway's consent to transfer the Braveheart to you."
Ethan's faced flushed red. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. His mind had heard what was said, though it was having trouble making sense of it.
"Sir, are you sure that this is what you want?" Ethan asked.
Not waiting for the reply, the questions he had began to flow out uncontrollably.
"What about the rest of the crew, the XO, the second officer? Why me?"
Stopping himself before anymore questions could surface, Ethan lowered his head,
his hands rubbing his temples. "To be honest, I would have been happy with being made XO, this is certainly a huge step." Pondering the offer in front of him, Ethan replied with what was his first real answer to the question.
"If I could be so bold to make a counter-request, sir. I will be more than happy to take the reins and I will take the best care of her that I know how, if you will agree to be a sort of sounding board for me. I know I have an XO and second officer, but you've had control of this ship for a much longer time, knowing her ins and outs, and that just cannot be replaced. "
Ethan finally let the breath in his lungs out completely, and inhaled a deep breath refilling his lungs.
Was it what he wanted? A good question, yes. Don paused for a moment, looking at Ethan questioningly, pondering everything, before standing up properly. "Firstly, your XO and Second Officer will remain the same. The crew will too." He stopped for a moment, knowing full-well what Ethan had originally meant. He moved from where he stood, back round to sit in the familar seat now behind the desk, his eyes having remained on Ethan. "Jemma's a good XO, yes. Right now thats unfortunately all I can see in her. She has the Command expertise, but lacks another quality when it comes to the Braveheart. You, on the other hand... feel her. You pilot her, make sure she's ready for anything. I feel you'll continue that quality into being her Commanding Officer." He stopped again, picking up a PADD and handing it over to Ethan; the invite to the briefing- the ceremony he would already know about. "I know as much as you do beyond that. I've cleared it with the Admiral already that I'll still attend."
"As for staying aboard..." He stood again. For some reason the chair felt uncomfortable now. Maybe it was the thought it wasnt actually his own anymore, felt like stepping on someone else's toes, so to speak. "I have a home, back on Earth, a family back there too... thats not a no to your request though, dont get me wrong..." Don paused, moving over to the fishtank and reaching for the food on the lower shelf. "The Braveheart has been my home for almost 9 years," he pinched the food and sprinkled some into the tank, turning to Ethan as he popped the lid back on, "I may just disappear every now and then for short spells, holidays so to speak." He chuckled, moving back to his desk as he allowed Ethan to speak again.
"Fair enough, sir," Ethan replied, "what I was looking for was not to pressure you into staying aboard, rather, to let me use use via subspace should when the situation warrants."
Ethan knew the Captain's predicament, very few officers ever stayed aboard their ship after a change of command. There was a feeling of being in the way, that the new Co wouldn't have complete control. More importantly, that the crew would not accept the new CO over the previous one.
"When exactly would the transfer take effect, and do you have any information on what our next mission would be?" Ethan tried to ask questions that would give him the most information for what he was about to get involved in. To him, taking over the ship was a move filled with pride. Glancing around the ready room, for he first time he saw it with different eyes, CO's eyes.
"Ah, I see." Don sat, rather uncomfortably again. "I may ask to be stationed on Thrinacia then, dont wanna overstep too much, and your welcome to my advice or anything you need, whenever you need it." It would feel different being away from the Braveheart, but any officer needed to get used to it. A good different. He hoped. No, he knew.
"Nothing's come through yet on your next assignment." He made sure to use the word 'your' - afterall, it would be Ethan taking the reigns from here on out, and down to him to alone. "I assume," He began, picking up a copy of the same PADD he had handed Ethan, perusing it, "this little briefing here will shed some light." He tapped the back of his fingers across the side of the small PADD. "It's not often you get all Commanders of a single Fleet together in one de-brief." He looked over at Ethan, watching him look around the Ready Room. "Taking in your new abode? The fish are a permanent feature unfortunately, so you'll have to take over care of them." He chuckled.
Ethan scanned over the PADD with the message for the debrief on it. Great, not even official yet and already have a formal debrief. Ethan smiled despite the orders on the PADD, it would be nice to see that side of how things worked.
Ethan felt the blood rush to his face, taking his skin color three shades of red. "I guess I was sir, though nothing is official yet. I was just wondering what will happen here in the coming months or years. I'm sure the walls could tell great stories if they could talk. "
"As for the fish, I'll do what I can with them, and hopefully they'll be alive when you come back aboard for a visit." Ethan chuckled at the thought of the fish floating upside down for months.
"Ohhh, many many stories." Don laughed, relaxing back into his chair, resting his hands on his stomache, somewhat in a similar style as a Santa Claus would. He removed his hands, making a mental note to visit the gym more often. "Dont worry, I'll leave the fish food behind so there's no excuse." He winked, standing up as he reached between some PADDs to pull out a small box and moved around to stand by Ethan's chair. "Commander, if you would stand."
Ethan chuckled and shook his head at the Captain's quip. Watching him grab something from his desk, and move around the desk, Ethan inhaled deeply, knowing that the moment had arrived. A moment he hadn't been anticipating, but found himself looking forward to it in the short duration of time that he had known about it.
Standing at the Captain's request, Ethan tugged at his tunic, more a nervous reaction than anything, and stood at the position of attention. So, the time has arrived, Ethan, he told himself, what will you make of this situation?
Donald allowed a small smile, the familiar tug-of-the-tunic that many staff permitted themselves before a promotion never grew old. He himself did on numerous... no, all occassions he'd gotten the extra pips. So small in size they were, yet with weight in the millions of responsibility.
He cleared his throat somewhat, unclipping the small box to reveal a solid golden pip and pulled it out, reaching up as he spoke to attach it perfectly alongside the other 3 already in place on Ethan's collar. "Commander Ethan Trane, as your superior officer I hereby promote you to the rank of Captain, with all the rights and priveledges of such rank, may the wind be at your back and god speed." He grinned, stepping back to look upon the newly appointed Captain.
"Computer, transfer command functions of the USS Braveheart NCC-95624 Sovereign Class over to Captain Ethan Trane and update all data as necessary. Authorisation; McGriff-3-5-7-Gamma-9." He paused, listening as the subtle chirping of the computer acknowledged and began to process.
*Command authorisation verified. Awaiting final Command Codes for completion of transfer.*
Donald looked to Ethan. "Your turn, Captain." He grinned, emphasising Ethan's new rank, being sure to be the first to allow the indulgence.
Ethan felt the pip being pinned to his collar. For the first time, he felt what being a Captain meant. For the first time, he felt what responsibility was. He hoped he could live up the expectations that went along with that fourth pip.
As his turn came for the command authorization, he spoke his code.
"Authorization: Trane two, four, seven, delta, six."
*Transfer completed.* The computer responded.
Sticking his hand out, Ethan offered it to his former Captain. "I relieve you, sir." Ethan said flatly.
Perhaps he would have felt better knowing that he had gained a ship from someone other than the man before him. His friend. His mentor.
Donald smiled, looking at the offered hand before taking it in his own. "I stand relieved." He shook once, firmly as a sign he knew Ethan would do well, and released the hold. "You'll make a fine Commanding Officer, Ethan, I have no doubt about that." He added, nodding once before moving a step to the side, one arm gesturing for Ethan to sit in the one chair that Donald himself had always aspired to take seat; the CO's Ready Room chair. A chair away from the hustle and bustle of the bridge, yet the place a CO felt more responsibility than any other, aside the centre chair on the bridge.
Ethan felt his eyes bulge as he looked from the chair the to Donald back to the chair. Along with the bulging of his eyes, he felt a smile begin to play across his face. Both uncontrollable to him, he let them come to full effect and made his way to the chair.
Stopping at the back of the chair, Ethan ran his hand along the top of the back, feeling the smooth leather that was now his second set of quarters. Feeling the softness of the chair, Ethan smiled and looked at Donald, "So this is what you've been holding out on us about."
By the way the leather felt, he knew it would feel even softer and more comfortable than anything he'd ever sat in. Turning the chair slightly, Ethan lowered himself in to it, and returned it to face the desk and the doorway. "This is nice." Ethan said, the smile still hanging on his face.
"Engineering did offer to 'spruce' it up a little, but I declined." Donald laughed, standing loosely on the opposite side of the desk, folding his arms as he surveyed the new Commanding Officer of his old ship. "Somehow that one felt right as it was... but, feel free to get it looked into if you fancy a change." He grinned, lowering his arms to his sides. "Just dont get too comfortable in that one... remember, you have an even bigger seat to fill up." Gesturing with his head behind him to the door to the bridge; behind which awaited the Commander's Centre Chair.
Ethan kept his smile from fading despite the fact that he had just realized the pressure now on his shoulders that went along with taking this chair. Though it was nice to have a personal office, the promotion was far from simply an office. He also had an entire ship and more importantly, his crew to worry about now. A small chill ran down his spine raising the hairs on the back of his neck.
"This will do just fine...for now." Ethan said, trying his best to hide the struggle between his excitement and fear.
"For now?" Donald laughed lightly, reaching down to pick up a small pack from next to the desk and sling it over his shoulder; the contents being what would have once lined the walls of his old Ready Room, sat on the desk, or even took up the cupboard in the small washroom off to the right.
He extended his hand over the desk to Ethan. "Captain, it was an honour serving with you."
Ethan stood accepting the handshake. He felt mixed emotions swell through him.
Pride...This was his ship now.
Sadness...His Captain was leaving, a man who had become his mentor, his friend.
Honor...he was taking over the best ship of the fleet...Standards not only set high, but kept high.
The list was too long for even him to process.
"No sir," Ethan replied, "the honor has always been mine. You accepted me from the day I came aboard, and that never faltered. For that, I thank you."
"For this," Ethan began, sweeping his free hand to indicate the ship, "I thank you even more. I'll try not to scratch the paint, and you are always welcome here."
The old CO smiled, nodding once. "Bloody-well better be." He mused, shifting the pack on his shoulder some more as he gripped the strap with his other hand, taking in one last look at the Ready Room. It was already beginning to feel and look different than he was used to, and he smiled somewhat at the thought before looking back at Ethan.
"With your permission, Sir, I will take my leave of the ship. I believe there is a transport waiting on me to depart for Earth."
"Calm seas and fair sailing, Captain." Ethan replied.
Standing from the chair behind his desk, he snapped his arm to a smart salute and smiled.
As the man had done before him, Donald followed suit; he straightened his posture and saluted in return. "Take care of her, Ethan." He smiled, nodding once as a sign to the new CO he knew he'd do well. With that, he turned his back to his old Ready Room and walked to the door, exiting as the doors slide open to leave Ethan to bond with his new appointment.
TAG: ALL Braveheart Crew, and others
Admiral Steve Malloway
Commanding Officer, USS Eagle
Joint Fleet Commanding Officer, Starfleet Strategic Response Fleet
Training and Personnel Developments Director, and Internal Verifier
|
