Mission 1.06 - The Times They Are A Changin...

[Medical Bay]
[2 August 2386 CE]
[1915 hours]

Eiri set to work immediately when he arrived in the med bay setting Rha’s broken nose and ribs and repairing Tung’s broken ribs as well. He had quickly discovered that not only was he acting Captain, but he was acting Chief of Medicine as well. He had placed Carter in statis and was waiting to deal with that until more immediate injuries were handled. He clicked on his com badge. “Lieutenant Retol, please take the bridge and let the Endeavor know that we are on our way. Captain out...” if he had his way it would not be captain much longer.

[Captain’s Ready Room]
[2 August 2386 CE]
[1930 hours]

Lieutenant Julian Durand stood in the empty ready room, waiting for the entrance of his acting commanding officer. He had been instructed to wait for the man five minutes ago, and as he was already acting as Bridge Watch Officer, it had taken three steps to get to the room.

He sat down in front of the large desk that Captain Virkov had previously occupied, looking at the Russian Nesting Dolls still occupying the desk. He picked the smallest one up with a soft smile, turning it over lightly in his hand. He had to admit, he missed the stern but fair woman and her slightly warped sense of humor. But he knew that given the situation at hand, she would be on to bigger and better things, perhaps even a position in the Admiralty if she played her cards right.

It seemed fitting to him, in a way, that Eiri had been placed as Acting Commanding Officer after Virkov and Colonel T'Rannus had left abruptly and suddenly. He knew that the counselor had the fittings and capability of command, but he wondered if a ship like the Normandie was right for him. He knew that he himself would not be able to command a ship as big as she. She needed an experienced commander, who had the same excellent multi-tasking capabilities. He mused and wondered if there was a little Saber or Diligent class vessel in his future.

The door slid open, and the white haired Lieutenant walked in. Jules smiled brightly, and said “Good Evening Sir.”

Eiri nodded, in a sort of stiff Vulcan way and ran a hand through his hair. He looked haggard and even more he hated being the bearer of bad news, at least for Lieutenant Durand. He snorted a little, in sarcastic humor, at the irony of the situation. “Evening, Lieutenant. Funny how this all worked out. Me here... you there...” he meant no insult, merely observation. “Sorry I am running a little behind. Apparently, I am also acting Chief of Medicine as well.” He offered a little smile and sat down behind the desk. It was odd to be there and in many way it seemed very wrong. At this moment he would gladly give it all over to someone else just to be allowed to go back to his little counselor’s office where life was less complicated.

Julian giggled a bit, and shook his head in mild amusement. “Can we pretend for a few minutes that you’re not my CO, and I’m not your direct report and just go back to being Jules and Eiri, shooting the shit in the cockpit of the Wanderer?” he asked with a sly grin.

Eiri laughed in relief. “I would like nothing more, please.”

Julian leaned back in the chair, and said “You know, I find it kind of funny how this whole situation has turned out. You sitting in the big chair, me running around the lower decks like a Junior Officer. It’s been fun.”

He set the small nesting doll back on the desk, and looked Eiri in the face. “Well, we should get down to it then. What do you have for me?”

“Let me just put it this way. I do not believe that I ever want to be captain for a day ever again. We are bringing on new people from the Endeavour, I know you know this, but once there you have been requested to take a Runabout and report to DS10. From there you will meet up with the USS Ajax, as her new Chief of Security and Tactical officer.” Eiri put up a hand. “Before you strangle me, it would not be my first choice for you either, but you have been specifically requested for the position.”

Julian’s eyebrow arched in curiosity, and said “Captain St.Cloud huh? I remember him. Strange man, but a good Captain. I’ll admit, I was hoping to get my own command sooner, but needs must when we’re in this situation.”

“I get the distinct impression that he is requesting you for a reason. Perhaps he trusts your skills above all others or perhaps he just wants to keep an eye on you.” Eiri grinned slyly. “He does know you are taken, correct?” he joked.

Julian chuckled deeply, and said “Oh no worries there Eiri. Luc would chop his balls off. No, I have a feeling St.Cloud wants me for my tactical interdiction specialty. I know how to get in and out of places without leaving too much of a wake, and taking care of business as it were. If he has personally requested me...well, that’s a pretty high honor coming from a man in his position. Who am I to turn him down?”

“I hate to lose you Julian. We have been though much together. I am not usually one for sentiment, but I have enjoyed your company and that of your partner. You will go to your new assignment with glowing recommendations from me,” he smiled a little sadly. “Everything is changing again, will it ever stop?”

“Change is the universal constant, Eiri,” Julian smiled. “Besides, things would be boring if they stayed the same all the time. We can always rely on our friendly and sometimes irritating galactic neighbors to shake things up for us when we least expect them. It’s been a real pleasure working with you. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay a bit longer. Are there any tasks you’d like me to finish up before we rendezvous with the Endeavour?”

“Yes, I would like you and Luc to join Ayan and I for dinner.” He smiled. “That would not be too much to ask, now would it?”

Julian smiled softly, and said “No, not at all. I think that would be a very fitting send-off. I’ll make sure to replicate a nice bottle of wine for the occasion. None of that synthehol crap.”

[[JP brought to you by Eiri "but I don't wanna be captain" Ashshy and Julian "I'm going where??" Durand]]

[Admiral’s Office, USS Endeavour]
[4 August 2386 CE]
[0900 hours]

Admiral Holden sat in his office, reviewing several PADDs splayed across his desk. It was a plethora of information from various sectors of the Expanse, collated by his own Operations Staff, and bundled together in a nice neat package for his perusal. It was nice from time to time, to be able to look at such a truncated world view of what was going on in his little “galactic neighborhood,” but he longed for the days that he could go out and explore everything himself.

His current attention was drawn to the upcoming change of command of the USS Normandie. Captain Virkov had gone a bit rogue, though admittedly not in the manner he expected of her. He had to admit, in her shoes, he would have done the exact same thing. Still, it had put him in an awkward position, and from the looks of the reports, had put the Normandie’s Second Executive and Chief Counseling Officer in an awkward position too. Still, the young officer had performed in a manner no less than what was expected of a Starfleet Officer, and put the necessity for peaceful scientific exploration above all other standing orders. There was something to be said for a man who would be able to do that with a clear conscience. He had made the same choice on numerous occasions. He’d have to think of something nice to do for the Lieutenant in appreciation for holding down the fort for the Task Force’s ship of the line.

“Admiral Holden,” the voice came over his intercom. “Commander ch...chew...chyeeew...”

Holden smiled, and said “Commander Shras is what he prefers. Yes, I’ve been expecting him. Send him in please Ensign.”

“Yes sir,” the woman said, relieved.

The delicate looking Andorian stepped briskly through the doorway that slid open for him and came to full attention, his boot heels clicking together smartly. The antennae on top of his head were much more expressive then the almost emotionless, carefully controlled expression on the Commander’s face. They swiveled in opposite directions several times before turning their attention to the Admiral as well. “Commander Shras reporting for duty, sir.”

Holden smiled warmly, and gestured to the seat in front of his desk with an open palm. “Please,” he said. “Have a seat Commander. I’m sure my recent communiques to you have left no ambiguity in the reason for my requesting you here today. It’s not very often I ask someone in the Security Department to hand pick an Executive unless there’s an upward transfer involved.”

Holden picked up one of the PADDs off his desk, and extended it to the Andorian Commander. “These are those transfer orders. We’ll be rendezvousing with the Normandie in approximately four hours, at which time there will be a crew transfer of a few key personnel that have been requested by you and by the current Senior Staff aboard the Normandie. They’ll be losing a few, and so will we. You know, routine stuff. Also, you may want to pay the Quartermaster a visit at some point before you transfer over. You’re going to need to add another pip to that collar and requisition a few red uniforms. Now, onto the more important matter. I gave you a list of about twelve candidates for an Executive. Did you come to a final decision on who would best fit the role?”

Shras looked at the PADD in his hand and back at the Admiral several times before he sat, crossed his legs and nodded. “Yes, the Trill, Lieutenant Commander Dagny Taggart-Leis. Her service record is solid and I have never worked with a Trill. It should prove to be fascinating.” He chuckled, although the joke seemed to fall way short of its mark. “I must say I am compelled to thank you for this opportunity and I will do my best to do the best I can.” he chuckled again, or at least it was an approximation of a chuckle.

“I have every faith that you will, Captain,” Holden smiled. “You were hand chosen for this assignment for a reason. The Normandie is a bit of a unique case. She requires someone with some high end skill and tact to command...but if the reports are anything to go off of, taking everything with a grain of salt is probably a good idea as well. You seem to be uniquely equipped for such a role. Our biggest and most capable ship in the Task Force has spent too long meandering around an area we never really had a welcome to be in to begin with. I’d like you to take her out into the Expanse, put her through her paces, and get on with the main mission of our great Federation. Do you think you can do that for me, Captain?”

Shras nodded and his antennae seemed to agree with him as well. “Of course, Admiral. I have great faith in the Normandie crew and their capabilities. Even though I served a small amount of time with the crew they worked together with distinction that speaks volumes of their skill and functionality. I have one question. Will the Normandie carry on as a training vessel or will it be reassigned for exploration?”

“It will be a little of both,” Holden mused. “I’d like to see her stay at least nominally in her role, with the ship’s advanced AI taking on more of the training roles. But I’d like to make sure that the only cadets we have aboard are doing their midshipman’s fourth year apprentices, and not taking all of their courses. Space is a dangerous place, and we need to instill that into them with their foundational academy work. Mostly, you will be serving as the Federation’s eyes and ears in the Expanse. I think in the long run, we’re better served with that as the primary focus of such a new ship than the former, don’t you agree?”

“I do agree, Admiral. I am actually relieved to hear that we will be reducing the number of “green” cadets on the Normandie. It is one thing to put fourth years in the danger of space. As a fourth year they understand what can happen out there. A green cadet can panic and make mistakes that can cost lives.” His antennae bounced in agreement and then bent forward as if they were examining the Admiral more closely. “I promise you that we, as a crew, will do our best to show the Federation that we have their intentions in mind and hopefully have some success in exploring a new area of space for the expanse of our knowledge.”

“Excellent,” Holden mused. “I don’t have anything else for you Captain. You can take the next few hours to get your affairs in order, and to meet up with Commander Taggart-Leis if you so desire. Do you have any questions before you depart?”

“Yes. Two actually. What will become of the Normandie’s current acting Captain? Will he be staying on or changing assignments as well? If he does stay on, in what capacity will he be doing so?”

“I suppose that is entirely up to him,” Holden said, leaning back into his chair. “I had planned to return him to his role as Chief Counselor of the ship though. I think given all of the recent circumstances, he’s certainly deserving of a promotion though, and I’ll be sending those orders along with you. I think in the long run though, he’s better served as being a member of the Senior Staff, and not directly in the command chain. I’d like to see him get a bit more field experience under his belt. I have full faith he’ll make an exemplary commander some day...today however is not that day. What are your thoughts?”

“I agree. I was hoping that he would stay. I have worked with him before and find him to be an exemplary officer. He will serve as an excellent example for cadets who are interested in his field. Will he be maintaining the second officer position as well?”

Holden tapped his fingers on the table for a moment, and replied “No. I don’t think we should have him in that role. It’s actually a relatively rare role for the ship’s counselor to have, and frankly I’m of the old school of starship command, where the medical and counseling departments are completely removed from the chain of command, so as to provide the culpability and responsibility required of their unique positions. It’s hard for a counselor to order a Commanding Officer to step down due to emotional duress when they are the next in line for center seat. It tends to look a bit...suspicious. I’ll leave it to your able hand to determine who best will fill the Second Executive Officer spot once you’ve had the opportunity to deal with the crew on a more interpersonal level.”

“Thank you, sir. “I do not believe that I have any more questions at this time. Thank you for this opportunity, it means a lot to me personally that I have been given this chance.” He stood. “By your leave, sir,” and offered an Andorian salute, left fist over right heart and a curt bow at the waist.

Holden smiled as the Andorian left his office, and mused briefly at how well his gambit would work out before returning to the PADDs strewn across his desk.

[Bridge, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[0900 hours]

The newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Ashshy stood from the center seat as the new Andorian Captain stepped onto the bridge. The half-Vulcan smiled and in that smile Shras also noticed relief. He could not blame his shipmate. Eiri had always seemed a little high-strung, with all those telepathic abilities, Shras imagined it would be hard to focus.

"Captain Ashshy, Commanding Officer, USS Normandie. Stardate 2386.08.08. I hereby relinquish my command of USS Normandie to Captain Chewrath Shras ch'Ghorev, USS Endeavor as of this date by order of Starfleet Command. Signed by Admiral Holden. SARAH, Transfer all command codes to Captain Chewrath Shras ch'Ghorev.

SARAH verified the transfer and change of command.

Shras, smiled in his stiff way and bowed a little, shaking hands with Eiri as he did so. "I relieve you sir," he said softly, his smile slowly becoming a grin.

With much relief in his eyes and posture Eiri replied, "I stand relieved."

Shras nodded again. "You're dismissed Counselor, to go back to your normal duties. Although, I will be hosting staff meetings all day. If you wouldn't mind taking the bridge for a brief moment, I will start with Lieutenant Retol and then he can take over for you. It is a pleasure to be working with you again. I know that this crew will perform at the highest standards of expectations."

Eiri nodded. "Of course, sir. I have the bridge until I am relieved." He paused with a little laugh, "Again."

"Very good..." Shras said, not getting the joke and disappeared into his Ready Room.

{{First come first serve on the one on one meetings. Feel free to use the joint point forum or shoot me a link on google.docs. Marowolf@gmail.com}}

[Captain's Ready Room, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[0920 hours]

"Lieutenant Retol to my ready room, please..." came the call over Ayan Retol’s com. badge. Captain ch'Ghorev had only been on the ship for less then an hour, but had started to call each of his senior staff into the ready room, one by one.

Ayan tapped his badge. "Aye, sir," he answered and rose from the ops chair. He flagged over the swing officer. "Take over here," he said. "There's a diagnostic running but other than that, everything looks good." He smiled at the officer and proceeded to the Captain's ready room, tapped the chime, and entered the room.

"Enter!" the new Captain called out and the doors slid open with a soft hiss.

Ayan stepped into the room and saluted appropriately. "Lt. Retol Ayan reporting for duty, Captain."

Captain ch'Ghorev stood from behind the desk and returned the salute. The tall Andorian was an imposing figure, especially in the red command uniform, but at least Ayan had worked with him before. That was half the battle. "At ease Lieutenant. Please, have a seat." The captain's eyes returned the PADD on his desk, but his antennae seemed to be most interested in Ayan. They bobbed and weaved back and forth, leaning toward the Bajoran.

Ayan grinned and walked crisply to the desk, sat down and waited for Shras to be ready. He knew the Andorian preferred a certain level of decorum, and he respected that. The Lieutenant liked his old shipmate, worked well with him, and trusted him, but they had never really been friends. It didn't seem Shras wanted that back then.

Shras sat as well and then eyed the Bajoran's earring. He seemed to be thinking. The first time they had met on the White Star he had asked Ayan to remove the decoration, now he was trying to decide how much he cared. It was up to the discretion of the captain and he had never seen Ayan let it effect any of his duties or responsibilities. He decided to say nothing. "It is good to see you again. I congratulate you on your promotion.”

If Ayan noticed the look at his earring, he didn’t let on. He simply nodded his head. "It is good to see you again, too, and thank you sir, I received it just a short time ago, after the Wanderer." He restrained himself from going on too much, or commenting on Shras' promotion and switch to the red uniform. He had to remember that Shras wasn’t Julian, or even Eiri, and that long babbling conversation would not go over well.

"How are you liking it here? Any issues or questions?" the Captain asked with his strange, sort of stiff, smile. It was as though he hadn’t learned to smile as a child, and only just taught himself.

Ayan returned the smile briefly. "I like it here," he replied simply. "I'm still getting to know some of the crew, and all the changes are pretty jarring, but I like it. It's been an adjustment getting used to the ops chair, though." He shrugged a little at that, as if to dismiss it as a difficulty that could be overcome.

Shras frowned, his antennae drooping as if suddenly sad. "Are you not happy with your new post?"

Ayan paused for a brief moment to think about what his answer was going to be. "That's not it, sir," he said, his voice slightly demur. "Permission to speak freely?" If Shras would let him, he’d be mostly honest.

"Of course. When it is just you and me, permission is not necessary. Speak your mind."

His nervous smile made it clear Ayan was not accustomed to that sort of permission from a commanding officer. If anything, it reaffirmed some of what he believed about Shras. "I've trained my entire career to be flight control,” he said carefully. “I've been a pilot since I was a child. It is challenging to have that tak --” He stopped himself and decided to rephrase. “To be told in no uncertain terms that will not occur. Ops is challenging, and it's rewarding, and I'd like to think I'm good at it. But it's an adjustment. I remained in Starfleet because I believe in the mission...even if the position is a difficult transition."

Ayan cut himself off and left it at that, having spoken his mind more directly to Shras than to most of his COs beforehand.

"Do you wish to remain in ops?"

Ayan nodded after a moment. "Yes. Other than flight, that's the position where I feel my skills fit the best, and that's a professionally challenging position. If you have other needs that I can fill, though, I'm willing to take on what you need me to." From others that might sound like sucking up, but the Bajoran meant it.

"What if I told you we needed a helmsman?"

Ayan blinked. "Then I'd very much like to put my qualifications forward for that, Sir," he said in surprise. "This ship knows how to soar, and she's a joy to fly."

"Then the position is yours..."

Ayan beamed at Shras after a moment’s pause. "Thank you, sir," he said, more than slightly amazed. "I won't let you or the rest of the crew down. Thank you."

"I know you won't... I was... disappointed and disturbed when I discovered you were not at the helm and the position was being rotated by cadets. The cadets, will no longer be there to fill the slot so we need an officer with experience."

Ayan nodded, barely trusting himself to speak. "They did a decent job...but I understand. And I appreciate your confidence in me." He looks at Shras. "Do you still need ops support? I can take on some additional roles from there during normal conditions if needed."

"We will find someone for it. I'd rather rotate 4th year cadets through ops then helm... if you get my meaning..."

Ayan nodded. "I do. That makes sense."

"Good... then that settled. I'm much happier with it that way. We'll just... disregard this little note.. shall we?"

Ayan nodded again and grinned at Shras. "Absolutely. Thank you, again, Sir. It's good to be serving with you again.”

"And you Lieutenant.... any questions?"

"Is there anything else I can do to help?" he asks.

Shras shook his head, his antennae standing still. "No... that is all I have for you at this time..."

Ayan nodded his head. "Yes sir," he said. "Then no more questions." He was absolutely elated, and there was a quiver of excitement in his voice, although he seemed to be doing his best to contain it.

"You're dismissed." Shras smiled.

Ayan nodded and rose, saluting again. "Sir," he said, and left the ready room.

[[JP brought to you by: Shras "Yes I'm the captain nao" and Ayan "YAY I get to fly again" Retol]]

[Quartermaster’s Office, USS Endeavour]
[8 August 2386 CE, 1000 hours]

The Quartermaster looked up with a faint smile on his face at the young Trill woman before him. He’d gotten accustomed to seeing her around, having risen the ranks in Operations. She seemed to be intensely interested on how Operations functioned on as large a ship as the Endeavour.

“Ah, Lieutenant Leis,” he said fondly. “How can I help you today?”

She gave him a polite but terse smile, and handed him a PADD. As he took it and read through the information, he laughed aloud a bit, and said “Well, congratulations are in order, I’d say. Are you excited?”

“A bit,” she responded politely. “It was definitely not the reason I expected to be called back to duty, to be frank. However I am thankful for the opportunity, as anyone would be. I’ve drawn you a list of the items I’ll need transferred to the Normandie with me, as well as the few items that necessitate actual requisition from the replicators. I trust that none of it will be difficult to furnish?”

“Not at all ma’am,” he replied. “I should be able to get all of this for you within the next ten minutes, actually. It’s all pretty mundane stuff. In looking over it though, I do see that you missed something.”

Dagny took the PADD back, scanning over it for anything she would have missed. “Oh? I don’t think I missed anything. I double-checked my list to make sure I’d have everything I need.”

Laughing, the Quartermaster responded, “Ma’am, you’ve been promoted to Lieutenant Commander. You’ll need another pip.”

Her face flush with embarrassment, she replied, “Ah, so I will. Very well then Chief, requisition one of those for me as well, and have it transported to my quarters with the rest. It was a pleasure travelling with you. Live long and prosper.”

He nodded in response, and shook his head slightly, chuckling as she left.

[Captain's Ready Room, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1007 hours]

Lieutenant Fedorov entered the buzzing bridge of the Normandie and took a good look around. It was a weird thing to do, a change in command didn’t carry within itself a change in the bridge layout, but still, she felt the need to check for any signs that could help her form a mental picture of the new Commanding Officer. Of course, she found nothing strange.

Somewhat saddened by this, she headed for the Ready Room door. She paused in front of it to straighten her uniform, and touched the chime button.

“Enter!” Shras called out and stood from behind his desk. Funny, to think of it as “his” desk. The Captain of a starship was not something he thought he would manage this fast. His Thaan would have been proud. Putting that quickly from his mind he took a deep breath and focused on the door.

The doors parted, and she stepped into the Captain’s office. “Lieutenant Fedorov reporting as requested, Sir.” She snapped on attention, trying her best not to look too inquisitive.

He smiled and returned her salute. “At ease Lieutenant.” His smile was odd, stiff, almost like he had never learned to do it properly, but as serious as his face was, the two antennae on top of his head seemed almost as curious about Fedorov as she was about the new captain. They bobbed and weaved, “looking” at her. “Please. Have a seat. It is a pleasure to meet you. I see you have been aboard for awhile?” He was looking at a PADD in front of him which was probably her service record. “How do you like it aboard the Normandie?”

Elena took her seat, and smiled back at her new Commanding Officer.

“I’ve adapted well to the ship, Sir,” she explained, sounding probably a lot more clinical than she intended. “Changes aren’t... well, aren’t easy for me, but during my time aboard I have managed to find myself a good place. The Department is working really well now, after an understandable first period of adjustment.”

She shifted on her seat. There probably wasn’t a “correct” answer to give, but somehow, she was sure the Captain would have read a lot more in her answer than she meant to express, and she worried about what his impression would be.

“I will be happy to offer you a more complete view about the Science Department than my last Operational report will offer, if you’d like so.” Elena offered.

“That’s good to hear and I don’t think anyone really likes changes.” He leaned back in his seat and picked up the PADD off his desk. His antennae peered at her over the top of the PADD and seemed to converse with each other as they wiggled back and forth. He put the PADD down again. “Actually, I see you’ve been doing an excellent job, but what I would like to hear from you is your honest opinion, no holds barred. Speak freely, please, and when it is just you and I in here you are always welcome to do so. I would much rather my senior staff be honest then worry about feelings. Are you where you would like to be Lieutenant? In the department you’re most comfortable in? Happy with your career and its direction?” He tried for a smile again, it had warmth and sincerity, but the musculature seemed unfamiliar with the expression. It was almost comical in some ways, and kinda hard to tell if he wasn’t trying to be funny.

Not that she had feared otherwise, but the conversation was taking a very risky and somewhat uncomfortable turn. The Captain wasn’t asking the wrong questions, only, she wasn’t totally sure she liked the idea of answering them, her proverbial shyness slowly but surely taking hold of her from inside out.

“After the time on Roosevelt Station, my last assignment previous to the Normandie, I wasn’t really sure to be cut out for another assignment on the line, to be quite frank with you Sir. But you know all too well that the Fleet always seems to be able to read your mind and as a general rule do exactly the opposite of what you feel it’s right,” she smiled nervously. “Truth be told, though, it was for the best. Since I set foot on the Normandie things have been... exciting, in entirely a good way. I’m sure my file speaks for itself: I’m not a pip hunter, in the general meaning of the term, and all I like and ask for is to have my time to settle down and build a comfortable environment around me to work in and to settle down. So far, all that as worked wonders here.”

Elena relaxed slightly in her chair, and grinned in the direction of Captain Shras. Before he could utter his response, she added. “To be fair, that surprises me quite a lot as well.”

“Excellent. Those are exactly the kinds of things I like to hear. I’m glad that your posting is suiting you well and I hope you are able to retain that level of excitement about future endeavors. We are going to be changing some things around here. The Marines have moved out and we have moved all of the lower level cadets to other assignments. I am going to need your help to fill the gaps left by those cadets with people you have faith in. Please don’t ever be afraid to come to me with concerns even if you think I might not want to hear them. Part of running an upstanding crew is honesty and sincerity, which, in turn, creates a working environment that can get things done quickly and effectively. I think you will find that quickly and effectively are my main goals as we move out into the Expanse and new assignments. I am still awaiting our next orders, but that will afford us time to resettle into positions. You do... like your position? You do not wish to be with another department do you? It is alright to be honest.”

Unlike Retol Ayan, he could sense the reluctance of the Elena to share with him what exactly was on her mind. It didn’t bother him, some people were just more guarded when it came to their own personal experiences. It showed a sense of loyalty to herself and perhaps that translated into loyalty to the ship and crew as well.

Elena smiled. “Science is my home, Captain. I feel completely at home in this Department, in a way, I think the kind of job I do comes to complement me. As for the personnel,” she continued, “I shouldn’t have problem with giving you a list of replacements for the cadets’ positions, we have plenty of talented people aboard.”

“Excellent! Thank you Lieutenant.” He stood from behind his desk as if to suggest the meeting was over, with that same stiff smile. His antennae bobbed up and down for a few moments, before he offered a hand for shaking. “Nice to meet you.” He seemed sincere.

Grabbing the Captain’s hand, Elena smiled openly. “The pleasure was mine, Sir. I’m looking forward to working under your command.”

“You’re dismissed.” He stood at attention for a moment and then grinned in a way that suggested he was kidding, but it came off as just awkward.


A Joint-Post respectfully brought you by:
Captain Chewrath Shras ch'Ghorev - Commanding Officer, USS Normandie
&
Lieutenant Elena Nikolaevna Fedorov - Chief Science Officer, USS Normandie

[Captain's Ready Room, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1020 Hours]

”Lieutenant Sepeth to my Ready Room, please,” Shras said over the commbadge before pulling up the Chief Engineer’s service record on his PADD. Third meeting of the day and it still felt strange to be in an office that belonged to him. He didn’t seem to be able to focus on the record in front of him and instead fiddled with a small statue of a pyramid on his desk, waiting for a response.

</\> “Aye aye sir, on my way.” </\>

Shortly thereafter, the Ready Room doors slid open and the Vulcan engineering chief strode through. “Lieutenant Sepeth reporting at your request, Captain,” he said, saluting.

Shras stood from behind the desk and saluted. “Nice to meet you. Glad you had time for a meeting. I know engineering can be a busy place.” He offered a stiff smile and the antennae on top of his head bobbed back and forth. “At ease Lieutenant, and have a seat, please.”

Sepeth nodded and sat down in a chair opposite the new Andorian captain. “Well met, sir. I must say, your readiness to converse with the senior staff so quickly upon taking up your new position is commendable. I have been reading through your service record, and I believe that you will make an excellent commanding officer.”

Shras continued to smile stiffly. “Thank you very much. We are all cogs in a larger machine and for us to run properly we must first make sure that everything is aligned correctly. A happy crew makes for ease of passage and efficiency. Without this we might as well go back to space dock and stay there.” He made a clicking noise that sounded like it might be intended to be laughter. “So tell me, how do you like it aboard the Normandie?”

“To be fair, I had grown accustomed to Captain Virkov’s style of leadership and command. She ran an efficient ship, and there was never any question regarding her orders. Her absence will certainly affect the crew’s performance in one way or another; hence the importance of an expeditious command transition.” He straightened his shirt sleeve and continued. “As for my own position, engineering is an appropriate use of my talents and skills, and I find the challenges of supervising the department quite intellectually stimulating.”

“Well, I hope that my own style of leadership will not disappoint. I also like to run an efficient ship so I think in those regards we will be most suitable to each other. I know that you may not be advancement-minded, but are you comfortable with where your career is going? Where do you see for yourself in the future? I know that you will give me an honest answer, because lying is, well, inefficient, but please do not hold back your opinions.” Even though Shras did not seem to be looking at Sepeth at all--instead focused on the PADD in front of him--his antennae wove back and forth slowly as if they were taking in the scene instead.

At the new captain’s mention of career advancement, Sepeth shifted his weight slightly in his seat. He remained silent and watched his superior officer’s antennae for a long moment before responding. “Career advancement was once a high priority of mine, but presently I find that I am well-suited to my role as Chief Engineer. In general, when engineering officers achieve command positions, they are assigned command of newly-commissioned starships--state-of-the-art warships and science vessels--and while the task of leading a crew on such a vessel would undoubtedly be quite an honor and associated with a great deal of social prestige, such concerns are not as important to me as working in a well-structured, established environment with a crew that exemplifies synergy and friendship, as these qualities may help to ensure success under strenuous conditions. At present, a future on this ship is satisfactory.”

Shras smiled in his stiff way and nodded. “These are good things to hear. I like to know that my officers are in departments they enjoy and find challenging. “Just let me know if that ever changes. We are going to have some things coming up that I would like you to take care of. The marines have been removed from staff and we will be sending away all the cadets that are not year four. There are going to be gaps left in the staff that I will need you to fill in your department, with promotions if necessary. I’m pretty sure you can handle that, right?” He seemed to be joking, but it was hard to tell.

Sepeth nodded impassively. “I will review the duty roster and delegate responsibilities in accordance with work performance. Any necessary promotions will be flagged and forwarded to you for final approval.”

“Excellent, then I think our meeting is concluded. Unless you have questions you’d like to ask.”

“I have none at this time, Captain. I will send you my report this afternoon.”

Shras stood from behind the desk and saluted the Vulcan. Then, with a curt bow, he said, “Live long, and prosper.”

Sepeth stood in turn and separated his fingers into the Vulcan salute. “Peace, and long life,” he replied, standing and stepping away from the desk.

As Lieutenant Sepeth left the office, Shras tapped his commbadge again. “Chief Griffith, please report to my Ready Room.”

[Bridge, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1040 Hours]

Hayley stepped out of the turbolift and onto the bridge. She saw Sepeth talking to a human ensign and walked over. “Everythin’ okay up here?”

Sepeth looked over at her and replied, “Yes, I had just finished meeting with the new captain when Ensign Hughes informed me of a power sink near the deflector generator array.”

Hayley chewed at the inside of her cheek and said, “Yeah, new captain, huh... What’s he like?”

Sepeth considered the question. “The new captain is... Andorian.”

The shuttlebay chief thought for a moment and said, “Andorian... they the ones with the bug-eyes?”

The Vulcan didn’t miss a beat. “No, Hayley. They have antennae. Try not to allow them to distract you, as I imagine they will.” He handed a PADD to Ensign Hughes and headed for the turbolift. Hayley took a deep breath and pressed the Ready Room chime.

[Ready Room, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1045 Hours]

“Enter!” Shras called out and stood from behind his desk. He felt suddenly that he might get the hang of this whole “my office” thing after all. He was looking forward to this meeting. Chief Petty Officer Griffith had an excellent record for job performance. She seemed to take pride in caring deeply for the ships. That was something that excited Shras. Dedication to the fleet and how it functioned should be everyone’s number one duty in his mind. However, he did not expect her to be so tiny.

Hayley stepped into the room and made eye contact with the new captain. She began to smile before noticing his blue antennae, which seemed to have taken notice of her as well. Gee Willikers, she wondered, can those things read my thoughts? Lord knows what they been hearin’ all day from all the officers. She was all elbows and knees as she popped into an anxious salute.

Shras snapped to attention, returning her salute, but his antennae bobbed and weaved back and forth, trying to take in the whole picture that was Hayley Griffith.

“Reportin’ for duty, captain... sir...” she managed.

“Nice to meet you, Chief. Please be at ease and have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and sat down himself. He picked up a PADD and offered her a stiff smile. “So, what do you think of the Normandie?”

Hayley dropped her salute and felt her way into the chair, eyes shifting back and forth to the antennae. Ain’t even safe to think no more, with all these aliens stickin’ their feelers where they don’t belong... she thought. “The Normandie, she replied, “is a beautiful ship. Took me a minute to get used to how big she is, but I got all the little boats I can handle down in the shuttle bay.”

“I am very glad to hear you say that. I am told that you are a very talented engineer.” Hayley blushed slightly; it was subtle, but her fair skin wasn’t doing her any favors. “How do you feel about your position aboard the ship? Are you comfortable with your position? There is not anything else that you would rather be doing?” He looked up from the PADD and caught her looking at his antennae, and smiled stiffly. “My eyes do not actually see in color, but my antennae do.” They dipped up and down almost as if they were agreeing with him. Shras chuckled warmly.

“Oh, so you see with ‘em, huh?” she asked, finally understanding. She seemed to sit a little more comfortably in her seat, although she still stole the occasional glance at the antennae. “I love my job,” she continued. “I got a stable fulla sweet little fillies that’s jus’ the right size. They all got different personalities, y’know? Always keep me busy.”

Shras nodded in understanding. “I know exactly what you mean. See, I am also very sensitive to vibration. Every ship, every shuttle has its own voice, its own sound and frequency, its own quirks. Much like each of us, yes?”

Hayley’s anxiety faded away. Despite herself, she couldn’t deny the common ground that the new captain was suggesting they shared. “Well shucks, couldn’ta said it better myself, sir.”

“Is it an Earth accent? or Mars Colony?” he asked, almost just as fascinated with her as she seemed to be with him.

“Oklahoma, born an’ raised, sir,” she replied, “though there’s a little Arkansas in there. Ain’ never been to Mars.”

“I have only been to Earth to go to the Academy. Although, I will say I enjoyed my time there. Interesting place.”

Come to think of it,” Hayley thought aloud, “last week’s away mission was the firs’ time I ever set foot on another planet, an’ it showed. Barely knew how to act. Never thought I’d say this, but maybe I done been cooped up in engine rooms too long, need to get in some phaser trainin’ on the holodeck or somethin’. Don’ wanna be a liability on the ground.”

Shras’ antennae bobbed in interest. “Ah. I see. I will put in some time for you to spend in training when your ships are not demanding your attention. I have several programs that I think you might enjoy, to suggest, if you like.” He smiled. “I spent some time at the Academy writing drill programs.”

Hayley grinned. “The girls are always demandin’ my attention, but I’ll bet I can talk ‘em into givin’ me a night off here or there so’s I can sharpen my reflexes. Lord!” she exclaimed, feigning exhaustion, “I got a dozen daggone irons in the fire; there ain’t enough time in the day.” She smiled, and in a feat of willpower she managed to maintain eye contact for a good ten seconds.

Shras laughed. A strange clicking sound that suggested his vocal cords were not designed for laughter. “I understand. I too have many irons in the fire, but it is very important that we are all able to work as a team, so these meetings are necessary. I find one on one people are more likely to be honest and act like themselves. Just one more question and I will let you return to your ships.” He smiled again, a little of the stiffness starting to wear off. “How do you feel about your career? Is it going the direction you would like it to go? Any thoughts of attending the Academy?”

The skinny redhead looked surprised by the questions, as though she hadn’t thought of career advancement in a while. “At the start of the year, I was an E3. Now I’m an E7 only eight months later. I ain’t worried about movin’ up the ladder, I’m jus’ tryin’ to do my job. Like I said, I love it, but if there’s a shuttle problem, it’s on my shoulders. So yeah, I baby the girls a little bit. Give ‘em a little extra attention. I think it’s a good situation for everybody.” She smiled at the Andorian.

“Excellent! I believe that answers all my questions for now. I’m glad to hear that you’re somewhere that you love your work. It is important that we are all comfortable with where we are at on the ship. Makes everything run smoothly, if you understand my meaning.” He stood from behind the desk and offered her a hand for shaking, his antennae rocking back and forth in tandem. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Chief.”

Hayley stood and shook his hand firmly. “Likewise, Captain. Gotta get back down to the docks; finishin’ up a Level 1 Diagnostic on the Volga’s propulsion an’ sensor systems. Am I free to return to duty, sir?”

“Of course! You are dismissed, Chief.” He gave her a little bow and sat down behind his desk again with a smile.

The engineer smiled at Shras and headed out the door. Before she left, she turned in the doorway and said “If’n you ever need anythin’, you let me know.” The ready room doors hissed to a close behind her.

[Ready Room, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1100 Hours]

Dagny pulled down the front of her duty uniform, and ran a pensive hand across her Trill markings. Hearing a faint chime from her Comm, she pulled a small hypospray out of her pocket, bared her arm, and pressed it in firmly, releasing the medication into her bloodstream that would allow her the ability to more readily host the Leis symbiont.

With a deep sigh, she pressed the chime on the door to the ready room, and awaited a response.

Shras stood from behind his desk. “Enter!” he called out, unable to contain his smile. He was looking forward to meeting his first officer. He had never had a female serve in that position, for that matter he’d never had a first officer, period.

Dagny entered the room and snapped to attention before announcing “Lieutenant Commander Dagny Taggart-Leis reporting for duty, sir.”

Shras returned the salute, crisply. “At ease Commander. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have been looking forward to meeting you. I guess that you and I will be working closely together. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.” He grinned and his antennae bobbed up and down in agreement.

She sat down in the seat across from Shras, crossing her legs and placing her hands squarely in her lap. “It would appear so sir,” she replied. “I have to admit, I was...surprised to see my name pulled for the Executive Position on the Normandie. My speciality has always been in Operations. I really hadn’t foreseen anyone taking notice of me for a command position. Still, after recent events, it’s definitely a pleasant surprise.”

Shras chuckled, a strange clicking chuckle. “I am in much the same boat. Quite literally...” he tried to joke. It was a bad joke at best. “I never expected to be Captain of my own ship, at least not this soon. We’ll just have to keep each other on our toes. I had some things I would like to ask you. If you don’t mind.”

“Certainly,” Dagny replied with a smile. “I’ve been out of the game for awhile, so anything you’d like to ask.”

“In here, when it is just you and me, I would like for you to be completely candid with me. How do you feel about your new position aboard the Normandie? Do you feel comfortable working with me?”

Dagny pondered the question momentarily, and replied “Yes sir, I believe I do. I have no particular qualms about working with any officer of any species. Also, the Leis symbiont’s lifetimes of experience give me a much more unique outlook on life in general than most. I feel I must ask though, is the perception you have of me that I would be...difficult to work with?”

“Not at all. I am glad you asked though. I feel that this is a good way to open up communication between us. It is most important that we function together and these meetings, I feel, will guarantee that we do. I want to make sure that everyone is in the position that they’re comfortable with and want to be in. In this way I can make sure that we function in the most effective way possible. There’s no point in having someone in a position they don’t want. Does that make any sense to you?”

“It does,” Dagny affirmed. “From time to time people shine in fields other than the one they were trained, but those circumstances are few and far between. I think ultimately as long as the crew is happy, we’ll get the best results out of them. Cohesive harmony is always better than cacophony.”
“I agree. I believe that is really all I needed from you Commander for the moment. We should be receiving our new orders soon, I hope. Do you have any questions or concerns for me in the meantime? I think that a crew rotation would be good, I placed Lieutenant Ayan on helm and opened up the ops position for someone else. I would like for you to take a look at the roster and see who would be best suited for the position or if we should rotate fourth year cadets through it to give them the experience?”

“If he’s happy at the helm sir, let him stay at the helm. Operations is my specialty, I can fill in there as necessary and help rotate cadets through it to give them some actual experience if that’s what you’d like. I won’t lie and say it will be easy for them, but I’ve always found it rewarding.”

Standing, Dagny said “I don’t have anything further sir. With your permission, I’d like to head to my quarters and get my affairs straightened away before I get to setting up a duty roster and meeting with the Quartermaster and Senior Staff.”

“The plan is sound...” Shras stood as well. “Of course, Commander. Thank you for coming by, it was a pleasure to meet with you, and I am certain that it will be a pleasure to work with you.” He saluted her, his antennae bobbing in agreement.

[[JP brought to you by Shras "AMG I'm still a captain" and Dagny "You better not screw it up"]]

[Paz's Quarters, Deck 6, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1100 Hours]

"Computer, warm the air in here another two degrees."

The computer chimed in response and in a few moments the ambient temperature had increased accordingly. Paz was rather thin, and her brand-new quarters were just a bit too cold for her liking.

The Bajoran woman reached down into one of the two smallish personal containers she'd brought from the Endeavour and pulled out a tray of vaguely-cylindrical lighting ornaments. She sat on the bed and arranged three of them carefully on the nightstand, pressing each one in turn, upon which they began to emit a soft glow in various warm colors. She preferred her quarters to be a place of comfort, which not only allowed for quality relaxation and sleep, but also provided an ideal setting for meditation and prayer. Next to the lamps she placed a little box decorated with a sophisticated geometric inlay. Flipping open the tiny latch, Paz lifted the lid and produced a traditional Bajoran earring, which she expertly affixed to her right ear with the aid of a small mirror set into the top of the box.

"Computer, where is Chief Science Officer Fedorov?" she asked, standing up.

SARAH's voice replied, "Lieutenant Fedorov is in the Crew Lounge on Deck 7."

The Normandie's new Astrophysicist pushed her sandy bangs behind her ear and headed out to the turbolift to introduce herself to her new superior officer.

***

[Crew Lounge, Deck 7, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE]
[1106 Hours]

Elena took a long sip of her tea, and put the PADD she was reading back down on the table on her left. A quick side glance over to the pile on the right remembered her she had plenty of reports still to go through.

She sighed. This was, by far, the worst part of the job and certainly the side of it she liked less. Luckily, the tea was excellent, brewed by hand, not replicated, from a stash of leaves her mother was still sending her out periodically.

The doors opened behind her, and she turned her red-haired head to check who was coming in at such a strange time of the day: too early for lunch, too late for breakfast. The blue collar of the uniform was the first thing to catch her gaze as her eyes took a good look at the Bajoran Lieutenant standing in the doorway.

Paz stepped into the lounge and saw her CSO seated amongst a stack of reports. She was momentarily surprised and then impressed at Lt. Fedorov's youth. She nodded by way of greeting and headed over.

Elena smiled, seeing her approaching. "Good day Lieutenant, may I be of any help?" she asked the newcomer as she arrived at her table.

"Lieutenant Fedorov? Good day, sir," the petite Bajoran replied. "Kirek Paz, the new Astrophysics Specialist. I thought I'd introduce myself before I officially begin my duties tomorrow morning." She extended her hand to her new boss.

Elena shook Paz's hand with vigour. "Wonderful thought Lieutenant, I was just right in need of someone to chat with, to distract me from all these evil devices," she said pointing at the mess of PADDs all around the table. "I'm sure your biofile is somewhere around here," she continued with a cheeky smile on her face, "please forgive me for not having fully reviewed it just yet. Please, sit down and let's get you something to drink."

"My service record has been transferred to the Science Department database. If you have any questions about my research in The Expanse, I'd be glad to answer them."

"Oh, I'm sure I will have questions," Elena said taking a sip of her tea. "As an astrophysicist myself, I find the perspective of all the mysterious phenomena the Expanse has to offer quite exciting. Hopefully I'll be able to drag myself away from all the paperwork and take a look at them together with you. Unfortunately, PADDs seem to have a passion for self-replication around here," Elena then added with a smile.

"I can see that you have some work to return to, so I'll be on my way. I'm going to familiarize myself with the science labs so I know what I'm getting into tomorrow. It's been a pleasure, Lieutenant." Paz's oversized mouth broke into a wide smile, and she bowed slightly.

Lieutenant Fedorov nodded in return. "Work has a tendency to stick onto our uniform, hasn't it?" Once again, she smiled broadly. "It has been a pleasure Lieutenant, and once again, welcome to the Science Team and to the USS Normandie. I'm looking forward to getting to work with you."


A Joint-Post brought to you by:
Lieutenant (junior grade) Kirek Paz, Ph.D. - Astrophysics Specialist
Lieutenant Elena Nikolaevna Fedorov - Chief Science Officer

[Sickbay, USS Normandie]
[8 August 2386 CE, 1040 hours]

Dr. Fletcher McNeil strode into sickbay with a bag slung over his shoulder. The newly minted full Lieutenant and full medical doctor pulled the bag off and gave it a strong toss onto a nearby side table.

"Eiri!" he called out in surprise, seeing the hybrid vulcan peering over a biobed. He strode over and peered at Ensign Carter. "Good to see you," he said to the Vulcan. "What'd he do to himself?" he asked reaching out and taking the medical tricorder Eiri had been using just a moment before. "No one told me I had a patient, otherwise I'd have been here faster."

Eiri blinked and smiled a little. "It is nice to see you again as well. Congratulations on your promotion. We are not certain what he did to himself. I have detected some sort of plant matter on his hands, but it is not something I have encountered before. I believe that he may have touched something." He sighed and gave over the instruments, stepping back from the bed.

A tall Bolian was not far behind Fletcher. "Wow... I like this ship already," he said with a smile. "We've only been here what? forty minutes? And there's an emergency?" He also set his bag aside and moved toward the biobed with another scanner.

Eiri stepped back further. "I am not certain of his initial symptoms, but aggression was definitely one of them. He roughed up two crew members who were on the away team with him. I had to use a phaser on stun to force him to stop his violent behavior. I have been keeping him sedated since, medical is not really my forte. If you would like more detail Cadet Tung and Chief Rha might both be able to give you more information. I will leave this in your hands..." He backed away and turned to leave.

"Plant matter?" Fletcher mused, and then nodded. "Thank you, Commander," he said. He turned to the Bolian nurse. "Nician, get a full bio isolation field around him, secure him so he can't get out, and then slowly bring him 'round. I'm going to want a full range of tests, but I want to talk to him and the others early on. Run the usual tests up front, though."

The Bolian nodded. "No problem, Doc." He stepped back to a panel and set up the field first, also running a filter for the air, just in case. Nician turned back to Carter and started in on the series of vitals, with the occasional injection of stimulant to bring the Ensign back to consciousness slowly.

Fletcher nodded at the nurse and then tapped his combadge. "Sickbay to Chief Rha." He paused. "Chief, if you have a few moments, I'd like to talk to you down here about Ensign Carter."

"Rha here?" came the rumbling voice of the Chief over the com. "Is that you Fletch? Glad yer back on board, Doc! I'm on my way to sickbay now."

"Very well, thank you. Sickbay out."

Adam came to again, slowly. He felt distant, disconnected from his body, which was apparently still lying on a bed in sickbay. The strong sense of smell he'd felt earlier was still there, but like everything else, muted.

"Doc... tor?" He croaked.

Fletcher strode back over to the biobed, picking up a medical tricorder on the way.

"Ensign, good morning," he said. "How are you feeling?" He ran the tricorder over the prone ensign, hoping to glean more information.

Carter rubbed his head. "Better than before," he rumbled, regaining some of his wits, if not the immediacy of his senses. "But... Kind of distant. Everything smells stronger. And now I feel kind of far away." He shrugged apologetically at Fletcher. "Not much to go on, I know."

Fletcher nodded, closing the tricorder after it yielded limited information, choosing instead to look at Adam and watch his reactions. "What do you mean 'kind of far away'? Drugged distant? Or is this different?"

"It doesn't feel like any drug I've ever been on. What did you guys give me?" Carter stood up, pleasantly surprised that he didn't sway. "OK. So I can feel the deck under my feet, but it just doesn't feel... 100% real?" He sighed, then inhaled again. "And then my sense of smell's better." He closed his eyes, pressing his palms against his face as he thought back.

"A flower!" He exclaimed, remembering. "I was looking at a flower, and then it kind of twitched and shot out some kind of powder stuff. And then I woke up here." He sat down again. "What the hell did it do to me?"

Fletcher chuckled a little. "Interesting," he said. "To be honest, from the little Lt. Ashshy told me, it sounds like it might have been something parasitic, or symbiotic. Just a guess. It apparently made you aggressive, and they had to stun you to get you under control. I'm not too worried, since you seem to be back to yourself, but I'd like to run a few more tests to be sure."

Fletcher turned briefly to the Bolian nurse. "Nician, see if you can find any residual plant matter in his sinuses or lungs." He looked back at Adam. "Do you remember anything else after then? Any emotion? Feelings of anger?" He seems more fascinated then worried for Adam's health.

Nician laughed a little and retrieved a micro scanner and a piece of equipment that took swabs. "This is what you get for sniffing the local shrubbery..." he teased, as he carefully scanned and took samples from the inside of Carter's nose. "Doc... there is something strange on the scanner in his lungs. I'm not sure it's plant matter. It looks more like the beginning of an infection, but the scanner says it's a foreign body."

Fletcher tilted his head at Nician and stepped away from Adam to take a look at the scanner. "You're a very strange case, Ensign Carter," he mused, running the tricorder over Adam again. He shook his head.

"I can't see anything specifically wrong with you. I'm going to give you a strong dose of an antibiotic to take care of this, and an antiviral to deal with this side infection of yours." He grabbed a hypospray off the rack and ran his finger down a line of drug selections before choosing two and loading them into the spray.

"I'm going to release you from sickbay, but restricted from active duty till we're sure this is gone. Go get some rest, get some food, and come back at the beginning of your shift." He reached over and jabbed the hypospray into Adam's neck and releasing the drugs.

He stepped back and waggled the hypospray at Adam. "You're free to go, but no more sniffing the local plants without knowing if they'll turn you into a plant zombie," he said with a grin. "Any questions?"


[1100 hours]

Released from sickbay, Adam brooded as he stalked the Normandie's corridors, but not cleared for active duty. Not yet.

He frowned, deep in thought, his body walking on autopilot. In one of the great ship's labs, Gerard Garrett would be taking great delight in analysing the plant that had attacked him, Adam knew. Until the influence of the spores could be entirely eradicated, Adam also knew that he had no business directing a starship's intelligence department. He'd accepted the doctor's orders with, he felt, good grace, given that he'd felt like he was talking to the doctor from the far end of a tunnel at the time.

The distant feeling still hadn't entirely gone away. Probably a side effect of the pollen in his system, he supposed. It had started as a decidedly unpleasant sensation and it still was, but he could live with it for now. In a way, it was sort of like being half-drunk.

At length he reached the door he'd been heading for and returned his attention to the here and now. He keyed the door and stepped into one of the ship's gymnasium facilities - this one set up as a martial gym. He shrugged out of his jacket and throw it onto a bench, twisting his neck first one way and the other as he sized up the heavy punching bag at the far end of the room. After he day he'd had, he had more than enough aggression to work out.


JP brought to you by:
Fletcher "Ayan" McNeil
Adam "Michael" Carter
Free-Play NPC Nurse Nician
And Eiri "Rha" Ashshy
Edit: Also that Garret Guy... -CO

[Observation Lounge, USS Normandie]
[10 August 2386 CE]
[1100 Hours]

Shras stepped out of his ready room and headed for the observation lounge. Stellar Cartography was going to have to cut their sight-seeing mission short in favor of something that Shras was sure would be an interesting "adventure".

"Resistance is futile". The Borg had been the most deadly enemy that the Federation had ever faced. Cybernetically-enhanced humanoid drones of multiple species, organized as an interconnected collective, the decisions of which were made by a hive mind, linked by subspace radio frequencies. The Borg came from a vast region of space in the Delta Quadrant, they possessed millions of vessels and conquered thousands of systems. They operated solely toward fulfilling one purpose: to "add the biological and technological distinctiveness of other species to [their] own" in pursuit of their view of perfection. The concept of perfection was the central unifying idea at the core of the Borg. The pursuit of perfection was the Borg's only motivation, albeit an unemotional and mechanical one. This was achieved through forced assimilation, a process which transformed individuals and technology into Borg, enhancing - and simultaneously controlling - individuals by implanting or appending synthetic components. They used cycling shielding which was almost impossible to penetrate. They adapted to any and all weapons quickly, usually more quickly then their invasion attempts could be dealt with and whoever they were currently "assimilating" were easily overrun.

Shras tapped his combadge as he stepped in the room, from the bridge. "All senior staff to the Observation Lounge."

Dagny had been sitting center seat on the Bridge, overseeing the transfer and allocation of new crew and supplies. This was her last opportunity to make sure everything was in operational order before they proceeded further into The Expanse, and now it was being interrupted by a Conference. She was going to have to get used to the idea of getting interrupted frequently, she supposed.

Standing, she turned to an Ensign at Science and said "You have the Bridge." Stepping into the Observation Lounge, she nodded politely at her new Commanding Officer, and took a seat.

Elena managed just barely to sneak between the closing doors without getting caught in them. On the other side, she quickly regrouped herself, and nodded to the Captain and Executive Officer, who seemed to be the only one already there.

"And I thought I was already running late, apologies for my precipitous entrance," she excused herself while reaching for her familiar spot around the big conference table to sit down.

Shras smiled and greeted both women as they came in and took their seats. Behind him on the screen was an image of the expanse. He stood behind his chair, his antennae bobbing up and down. "We'll give everyone a few moments to arrive before we get started. Has everyone filled their positions that were left empty by the cadets leaving? And do I need to consider any promotions for those positions?" He has several things he wanted to cover in the meeting, their next assignment was not the only thing on the agenda. He definitely wanted to make sure they were at full crew and functioning before they took on what was to come.

Ayan rose from the helm after adjusting the ship's planned course once again, and proceeded into the conference room, his earring jangling slightly as he walked. He inclined his head respectfully to Shras. "Sir," he said, and sat down in his usual chair, not wanting to interrupt the conversation going on.

Dr. Fletcher McNeill strode into the observation lounge a few moments later. The short human surveyed the room, looking at faces he had not met before and nodded his head to those he made eye contact with.

"Mornin', Sir," he said politely and walked to a chair beside Elena. "Is this seat open?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"By all means," Elena gestured for him to sit down as she was checking the small display embed in the table in front of her, taking advantage of the waiting time before the start of the briefing to check on the progress of a diagnostic she had started some hours before on the main sensors grid.

Dagny smiled politely as the officers took their seats, and pulled out a PADD. She had spent the better part of the morning working on a Senior Staff Bridge Duty rotation, and had kept being interrupted at the most inopportune moments. Giving it a quick once over, she realized that this was probably not the best venue for a new Executive Officer to have her head buried in paperwork, and set the PADD onto the table, folding her hands in her lap.

The doors to the ready room slid open and Lieutenant Sepeth entered, nodding to those assembled. Without a word, he took a seat and rested his interlocked fingers on the conference table. Behind him, though apparently not with him, entered Mike West, who nodded gravely to the assembled senior staff and took his own seat.

Dagny turned to Shras, and after clearing her throat politely asked, "I presume we're here on a matter of some import sir, or we wouldn't have left the ship to be run by a small group of first year ensigns?"

Elena smiled at the remark, remembering the days when the Normandie was mostly filled with Cadets fresh out San Francisco sun. Still, she realized, the Executive Officer was making a good point, something big must have been brewing for the ship's Senior Officers to be called to such a briefing only hours after the departure of the Endeavour with the head of the Task Force aboard.

She shifted almost uncomfortably in her seat, now a little nervous, and waited for the Captain to begin. Before he could, the door opened a final time, admitting a freshly-scrubbed and cleanshaven Adam Carter. Restored to active duty the previous evening and (according to the combined resources of the medical and science departments) cleansed of the influence of whatever had attacked him, he felt almost human again. After a fashion, even the distant sensation had faded. He took the nearest available seat, next to West, and nodded at the assembled crew.

Shras nodded at Dagney and turned to the board. "A few days ago, long range scans picked a debris field in this area of the expanse." He pointed to an unexplored area of the dark map. "Starfleet wishes us to go to this debris field and make sure that it does not present a danger to ships traveling through this area." He paused, knowing this little bit of information did not sound nearly as important as the officers in front of him had been led to believe.

West frowned. "Why would a simple debris field present a navigational hazard, sir?" he asked.

"The debris consists of Borg ships. They appear to be just that, debris, but Starfleet is not sure if this is a new tactic by the Borg to lure in ships or if something or someone actually destroyed all of these Borg. They are calling it the Graveyard." He set his PADD down on the table and took a deep breath. "Our assignment is to find out exactly what is going on and provide Starfleet with the answers they seek. Questions?"

A cold bead of sweat ran down her spine. The Borg were never good news, in anyone's book, and the thought of a potential mass of them waiting lurking in the Expanse, be it in the Graveyard or not, was suddenly making their area of operation something completely different all together.

"Why us Captain," Elena asked. "Or better, why ONLY us? While we sure aren't a small ship, why isn't Starfleet sending in someone packing a bigger punch than a single vessel?"

"It will hopefully not be only us for very long. We are simply the closest ship with any sort of science contingent. Starfleet is sending heavier armored ships as soon as they can, but they do believe that even though it might be a trap, it probably isn't and IS what it seems. The question they most want answered is why. What managed to destroy so many Borg in such numbers as to qualify the area as a graveyard. We seriously doubt that the Borg have any sense of respect for their dead, so a true graveyard would be... unbelievable. Something must have happened. We are tasked with attempting to find that out."

Sepeth's palms met and he tapped his fingers against one another. "Occam's Razor holds that with all contingencies being equal, the simplest conclusion generally proves to be valid. Until we have reason to believe that this is an elaborate trap, it is logical to treat this situation as a debris field. It is not customary for the Borg to use such intricate deception techniques; if they wished to capture or destroy a Starfleet vessel, a frontal attack would be more likely." He paused and addressed the Andorian captain directly. "Have our long-range sensors detected any irregularities beyond the remains of the Borg ships?"

"No, they have not," the Andorian replied. "Which is why we think that this probably isn't anything more then it seems. You are correct in your assumption that the Borg don't usually go to such elaborate means and are more likely to take a direct approach. Considering their structure and purpose it seems way out of character that they would set a trap."

"I don't think we should rule out that possibility, though," mused Adam, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Where the Borg are concerned, discretion should be our top priority. If we're right and it does turn out to be a simple debris field, then all we lose is a bit of time. If we're wrong though, if this is a play, then we lose a lot more than that."

West nodded. "I concur. With your permission, sir," he turned to Shras, "I'd like to deploy Juno Squadron ahead of the Normandie and scout the field prior to our arrival."

"Agreed," Shras replied, his antennae doing the nodding for him. "After the squadron has given an all-clear our assignment is to map the debris field and try to determine a cause for this destruction. I, myself, am glad that someone or something has decided that destroying Borg ships en masse is a good idea, but it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. If "they" and I use they loosely, are capable of this level of damage to the Borg then what else are they capable of and who else do they pose a threat to?"

Elena masked a shiver at the latest of the Captain's remark, and quickly focused again. "I think we will be able to use Juno Squadron as a sensor amplifier as well," she added. "Debris fields are unfortunately hard to scan properly except at close distance, as the numerous fragments scatters the signal around all to easily, but I think with the help of the Squadron, inter-linking their sensors with our main ones, we should be able to sensibly increase our resolution at higher distance."

"The only other vessel that we've ever known to be capable of taking out a single Borg Cube with relative ease was a Romulan D'Deridex class warbird. That was a single cube though, under favorable conditions for the Romulans. An entire Borg flotilla being destroyed...well it will be interesting to see how this plays out," Dagny stated.

The Andorian Captain rubbed his hands together. "Alright, does anyone have any other questions? If not let's get underway." He smiled and his antennae spun in opposite directions as he turned and headed for the door, stopping just short of it to turn around again and survey the group. He waited.

Dagny stood, nodding to the various officers in the room, and said "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my office going over the manifest. There's a lot of new names to learn." She excused herself, and quickly departed the Observation Lounge.

Ayan shook his head. "Not from here, Sir," he chimed in as he rose and headed for the door. "I'll start reviewing what data we have to figure out if there will be any navigation hazards for us. So long as there aren't any surprises, prophets willing, it should be an easy flight through." He smiled a little at the new Captain. "I'll make sure we don't pick up any new dents."

Sepeth let the information sink in and considered the possibilities. After a few moments he stood and addressed Lt. West. "I will inform Deck Chief Griffith to prepare the Juno Squadron fighters for scramble on your command, Lieutenant."

"Excellent," replied West. "Standard armament for the entire squadron, I think. We won't be needing tri-cobalt launchers for this run." The chief engineer bowed curtly to the human and made his way to the exit.


JP brought to you by:
Shras
Elena
Ayan
Sepeth
Dagney and
Adam

ON:

[Main Science Lab, USS Normandie]
[10 August 2368]
[1220 hours]

Ensign Stel was intent on working on some new calibration for the forward sensors array when Lieutenant Fedorov entered the lab.

"Chief, I was about to get in touch with you, the new routines for long range scanning are ready to be implemented, but I wanted you to sign them off before asking engineering to help us updating the firmware."

Elena swung by her desk, dropped the PADD she was carrying from the Senior Staff briefing on it, and headed for Stel's position. "Are you through with the test already?"

"All preliminary tests are done and came out satisfactory. We are still short of the final resolution, but we should be able to improve it once the software update has been pushed."

Taking a quick look at the lines of code in front of her, Elena nodded slightly. "Normally I would have vouched for that as a good way to proceed, but I would like to ask you to hold the update, and run some more simulations. Let's see if we can optimize the processing power, and push our resolution further."

Stel's eyebrows twitched slightly, a quick glimpse of surprise crossing his face.

"Are you seeing something wrong with my work, Lieutenant?" He inquired.

"Not at all, Ensign," she promptly reassured him. "But the circumstances of our mission are changed, and are somewhat more challenging now. I would like to be sure we're in topmost condition."

The Vulcan ensign looked at her, his eyes inquiring for a more insightful explanation of her word.

"I will brief all the staff later on, mister Stel, and I'm sure you will understand. Let's just say we might soon be having to deal with the Borg. I'm sure you would agree with me that requires the best that the Normandie can produce."

Stel nodded. "They seem to have a tendency to push us towards our limits. I see your point."

"Let's run some more tests and streamline this processing routines a little bit more. Some microseconds gained or a fraction of a light year more distance resolution could soon come in handy, and we should be sure we will be able to provide just that, whenever it might be needed."

"As you wish Lieutenant, I'll settle back to work."

Elena smiled. "I am scheduling a Science staff meeting for 1400 hours. I would like to brief all of you on what the Captain showed us this morning, there is a lot of unknown on the horizon, and as scientists, I'm sure none of us actually like that much."

:OFF