Arrival

Posted on Sat Jun 8th, 2024 @ 3:59am by Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai & Captain Björn Kodak & Lieutenant Cassian Maritz & Lieutenant Xex Wang & Lieutenant JG Josh Peters & Lieutenant JG Paisley F'Rar
Edited on on Sun Jun 9th, 2024 @ 10:18pm

Mission: Mean Green Queen
Location: Delta Quadrant Rendezvous
Timeline: Mission Day 5 at 0558

[Runabout Xiliao]
[MD 5]
[0558]

For nearly two weeks now, the Xiliao's viewscreen had showed nothing but the ever-shifting tunnel of their warp transit from Pathfinder station out into the depths of the Delta quadrant to their rendezvous with the USS Sojourner. Except for one close call with a newly-formed nebula, the transit had been fairly uneventful, if flying into the wilds of the Delta quadrant could ever really be called uneventful. Early this morning however, Petty Officer Rirahl had dropped them out of warp with a brief warning over the comm system, the shift from warp to impulse drive discernible mostly as a change in the background hum of the little ship, a noise that had become almost subliminal in their weeks of travel.

Now, the viewscreen held the image of an ever-growing starship, sleek and relatively new-looking. She hung amongst the backdrop of the stars, a welcoming known amongst the unknown of the Delta quadrant, awaiting their approach. “Damn,” the Trill helmsman said to no one in particular, “That Rhode Island refit looks good.” Keying the comm, he added, “Five minutes to arrival.” His voice echoed tinnily throughout the ship, warning his passengers to gather their belongings. On his terminal, the Sojourner's flight control was already beginning security protocols, and he turned his attention to the specifics of arrival.

Cassian was already awake when the call had come through and was happy to get his belongings together. "Hey sweet girl," he said to Blue as he stood up and checked she was alright and got greeted with a purr. "Soon enough, we'll be in our new home and you'll be able to stretch out." He packed the last of his belongings into one of his bags and looked to make sure the others were up and doing the same.

Peters, having been informed by the bridge that arrival was less then 10 minutes out, packed the last of his belongings, which wasn't much, and headed to the airlock that they would use to disembark the shuttle onto the newly minted starship. He only had two bags with him. He looked forward to getting to know the ship and its crew.

The tall, stately Carjoran who was the new Assisting Chief Engineer was primping quickly. She had smoothed back the inky black braid she'd put her hair into that morning, and then smoothed her tunic. Now, she put on a tiny bit of lip gloss. After a quick look at herself in a compact mirror, she put the things into her sea pack, and stood by the Hatch doors, waiting for the cue to disembark. She was aching for some coffee and to see her new workspace, but she knew that there was a protocol first-usually, see the Quartermaster, get your assignments, meet the command team, meet your direct department head, and THEN you get your coffee and a meal.

Josh headed to the spacedock where he was told they would disembark. He was waiting for the others, being the first to arrive.

Paisley smiled at Josh. "Are you ready?" She asked. The birds in her stomach were flapping away. She was always super excited and slightly anxious on the first day, but knew she'd settle in fast.

They stood there for a few minutes, and away from the viewscreen, the only indication they had slipped into the Sojourner's shuttlebay was the subtle shift of gravity as the larger ship's inertial dampeners took over from the runabout. Only a few seconds later, a gentle bump indicated they had come to rest in the shuttlebay.

Finally, the doors started to open.

[Shuttle Bay]
[A few moments prior...]

Captain Kodak stepped into the Sojourner's shuttle bay, eyes sweeping the hangar as he did so. Commander t'Nai did not yet seem to have arrived, though he did spy a crewman working the flight deck controls. He nodded to the young woman -- who reported the incoming shuttle was on approach -- before letting his gaze roam further. It settled on the Kazon shuttle Ensign Balsam had procured from their stop at Hukatuse Tagumik.

The small craft -- which occupied one of the three berths on the deck -- had been heavily modified from standard Kazon tech and was in need of being studied further to understand just how far First Maje Subrek had been able to upgrade his technology. With Chief Oliveria busy with other tasks, perhaps their incoming Assistant Chief Engineer would be able to help coordinate that effort? There'd been no sign of pursuit from the Maje thus far, so it seemed they had time to work on it, at least. The Chameloid made a mental note to suggest the project assignment to the Chief.

Golden eyes glinting in the overhead light, Kodak turned to watch the shuttle on approach through the forcefield separating the shuttle bay from open space. The craft was steadily getting bigger as it nosed closer and closer to the Sojo. He'd been about to strike up conversation with the crewman manning the controls when the large doors behind him opened with a half-groan, half-sigh. Turning, he spied his XO and offered her a smile.

"Commander," he beamed at the woman, pointing -- for the 100th time -- at the new pip on her collar. With Starfleet's hard-fought blessing, the Captain had promoted t'Nai to Commander a few days prior, taking the empath quite by surprise. She'd had a few days since to settle into her new rank, hopefully. "Welcome to the greeting party," Kodak said, hearing the shuttle begin to enter through the field behind him.

If the XO seemed harried on her arrival she didn't comment on it. This particular shuttle meant a number of things in terms of crew arrivals and departures, but it particularly meant the departure of the Vulcan patient that had been under her care for so long. To say that this decision and change had been handled with the usual calm acceptance you'd expect of a Vulcan would be a significant misrepresentation of Karim's reaction and that had, in part, made her late.

She hated being late.

"You know, it shouldn't feel like any kind of big change when folks were shortening my prior rank to Commander already. I should feel used to that form of address already." She gave a sheepish smirk to the Chameloid as she stopped next to him. "Maybe it's the weight of the pip or maybe it's that you keep literally pointing at it..." She chuckled then, the sound and delivery of the comment full of affection with none of the edge of critique.

"I mean," Kodak rasped with equal affection, "it is kind of a big deal. And you know, I've always wondered why we shorten 'Lieutenant Commander' to just 'Commander.' It's very confusing," he admitted, reaching up to thoughtfully stroke his beard, "especially when you're a young Ensign trying to learn everyone above you. Anyway," the Chameloid head-shook the thought away, "ready to meet our new crew?"

"Of course," she said," I am ready as always. It's always interesting to make this first impression. One thing dossiers never really fully convey is just how to expect them to interact." She faced the incoming shuttle, snagging the last moment opportunity to watch as it settled into place in its bay.

During the exchange, the shuttle had fully entered the Sojo and settled to the deck. With yet another sigh -- why did Starfleet tech always sound so put upon? -- its doors slid open, revealing the faces of the relief crew who'd been sent from Pathfinder to fill recently vacated positions. Perhaps unexpectedly to them, the Captain and First Officer stood at the bottom of the extending disembarkation ramp to meet them, Kodak in particular seeming eager to say hello. The bearded, barrel-chested man looked up at the trio with eyes of startling yellow-gold, a smile spreading across his face.

"Welcome to the Sojourner," he offered as the group began to descend the ramp. "I'm Captain Kodak and this," he gestured to the woman at his side, "is Commander t'Nai." The new officers, of course, would already know who they were given their in-flight briefing, but introductions were still polite. He linked his hands behind his broad back then, eyebrows uplifting with expectancy for introductions in kind.

Cassian stepped forward and put his bags down. "Captain, Commander," he greeted them both with a respectful and curt nod. "I'm Lieutenant Cassian Maritz, reporting as requested, as your new Chief of Security. It's good to finally be here."

Peters stepped forward. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Josh Peters, Assistant Security Chief reporting."

Paisley stepped in behind Peters. She was nearly as tall as him, so it wasn't hard to spot the Carjoran. "I am Lt. Paisley F'Rar, the new Assistant Chief Engineer. Nice rig," she said. She was already looking around, getting a feel for the external hull locations. "Captain, Ma'am," she said, nodding once.

A pair of crewmen in operations mustard shuffled up behind the officers, keeping themselves a deliberate distance further back. They had kept to themselves throughout the journey, either respectful of, or intimidated by the officers in their midst. Their own murmured introductions were nearly lost in the hangar's huge space.

"A pleasure to meet you all," came Captain Kodak's warm but gravely greeting. He stepped forward then to offer a hand for shaking -- a custom that had filtered throughout the Federation and taken root within Starfleet -- as he moved from new officer to new officer. While some captains preferred to keep a cool distance from their crew, this particular Captain seemed keen on sparking a welcoming, friendly kind of rapport with the newcomers. "I'm looking forward," he said, stepping back after the round of handshakes had been completed, "to your joining our little family out here. From what I've read of your files, I'm certain you'll fit right in. How was your trip?" he wondered curiously.

Standing there in the shuttlebay, Captain Kodak certainly looked the part of a human. His short, neatly trimmed hair -- touched with heavy hints of gray -- framed a face that was both rugged and rosy all at the same time. His eyes, however, gave away his true heritage as a Chameloid. Once thought mythical in nature, his particular race of shapeshifters had seemed all but extinct from the galaxy...at least until a few months prior, when the Sojourner had followed a trail of long ago-laid clues that had led Kodak to the last remnants of his people. Their Starfleet-assisted sojourn to a Federation member world as refugees had made quite the splash in current events as of late, though many distrusted the Chameloid colonists -- a holdover from anti-Changeling sentiment stemming from the Dominion War era.

"Long," the Carjoran Engineer replied. "I am excited to get my hands dirty again," she said. "These long shuttle rides don't allow me the ability to pitch in," she said.

"The trip was long, but were made the time spent together easier, we talked and shared meals, sir." replied Josh Peters, "I, like the others, are eager to start our assignment."

Paisley eyeballed the Captain with a bit of strange feeling...she was trying to place his race in her mental Filofax. Given her father's storied military and "diplomatic" career, she had met MANY people from many races, but she didn't know this one. Or at least, it wasn't presenting itself. Oh, well, there'd be time later. "Do you do the whole quartermaster-assignments-worksite bit or?" She asked, frankly.

Peters was surprised when Paisley asked such a question to the captain. But then again, he wouldn't mind sharing quarters with her.

"Two weeks on a shuttlecraft isn't for the faint of heart," Kodak nodded with understanding and a half-smile to Peters, "but I'm glad you were all able to help each other pass the time. Even if sitting on your hands for a while can be frustrating," the Captain said, acknowledging the Carjoran's observation. He shook his head at Paisley then and pointed to t'Nai at his side. "Small ship. You're getting the Direct XO treatment actually," he rasped warmly. "Commander t'Nai will get you sorted and set up. I understand she's been working on your bunking assignments. Commander?" he asked, turning to the empath with a smile. He wondered what kinds of emotions she was reading from the new crew members, imagining maybe a mix of nervousness and determination perhaps?

Paisley smiled. "Excellent. I am not trying to rush anything, my apologies. I am just...one of those types that likes to jump in. Don't tell medical, I am sure they'll be on me soon to slow down," she said. Social norms weren't obvious for the Engineer-she just said what was on her mind, but was never purposely rude about it. "It is nice to meet you both, again," she said, with a smile. "It's nice to meet the Command team straight away." It was a nice change.

"Please sir," Peters spoke up. "Our colleague is just anxious to get to her post, as we all are, so please don't take offense."

After listening to both Peters and F'Rar, Cassian decided to take the more diplomatic, formal approach to what the Captain had said with an exasperated tone, "You're correct, sir, it has definitely been a long two weeks on a shuttle and I think we're at the point where we're looking to get settled into our new accommodations and whatnot." He was easy when it came to assignments and didn't mind who he was bunked with.

When he had the time, Peters was going to apologize to Paisley, in case she felt like he was trying to apologize for her behavior.

The Carjoran simply nodded. "Indeed. Lead the way!" She said, excitedly. She picked up her seabag and her kit-she had, over the years, put together a personal kit with her favorite tools from various postings, races, and planets she'd visited/worked for.

Emni had been quiet through much of the exchange, letting the new officers speak and taking their measure as they did. Though new, their emotional signatures stood out to her uniquely and she allowed herself a few moments to cement them in her memory before taking over the conversation.

"Right," the XO said, looking to each of them in turn, "We're a small ship, so roommates are the way of things here. Generally we're happy for you to settle in first and then find your way to your commanding officers or, to me, if appropriate for any next steps. Crew quarters are spread out a bit. Senior officers," here she nodded Maritz, "are on Deck 3 and junior officers," a nod to F'Rar and Peters, "are on decks 5 and 6. Since we're already on Deck 5 we'll head for junior officer quarters first.

As she spoke she moved toward the door indicating the others should follow. She kept up a regular banter throughout, offering direction and pointing out any important landmarks. It wasn't expressly necessary as most officers could navigate a new ship well enough without a tour. But she wanted them to feel welcome and comfortable. For good or ill they would all be on this ship for some time when this far away from home.

Peters followed Paisley and Cassian as they followed the commander on a brief tour as they made their way to their quarters.

They were led down the Corridors, and the Engineer took in as much as possible, her eidetic memory taking snapshots as they went. It was helpful in her career, to be able to have this ability.

Peters was looking around as he followed the others. He located all the important points on this level....security offices....armories...choak points in case of an attack and boarding. In his line of work, he has to think of these things.

After a few minutes of walking the Romulan XO pulled them to a stop in front of a door. Though she could have opted to carry a PADD for confirmation, she had instead memorized the room assignments. "Ensign F'Rar," she said, waiving the woman forward, "this is you. You're rooming with Ensigns Tor, Ratthi, and Drol."

Paisley smiled. "Thank you," she said. She was unused to shared quarters; Starbases kept junior officers in single suites, albeit tiny ones.

To the air around them Emni took the next step to confirm F'Rar's arrival and assignment, advising the computer of the new occupant and confirming it with her own access code so that Paisley would be able to come and go as needed. With a whoosh of pnuematics the door drew to the side opening onto the shared living area of the quad suite that all of the junior officers lived in.

She smiled again as she stepped inside. "Hello!" she called out. They were probably on duty. Oh, well. She placed her bag on the floor, , and turned back around. "Should I report to Engineering or just come along?"

"Feel free to get settled in. One of those two rooms will have an empty bed in it that's yours. Then reporting to Lieutenant Oliveria would be ideal."

Paisley nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. See you later!" She said. She ventured deeper into the room, to investigate.

The next stop was not much further down the corridor, perhaps 4 doors along. "Mr. Peters, you'll be taking the fourth spot in with Ensigns Balsam and Parsons and Lieutenant Irynya." She paused, repeating the clearing step with the computer so that the door slid aside for Peters arrival.

"Thank you. commander." Josh walked into his quarters. 'Sharing a room with 3 others? What is it, the Academy?' He looked around, didn't see anyone in the room at the moment, so he took a look around. 2 bedrooms, 4 beds, sharing with a possible of three other people. Then he checked the head. 2 sinks, 2 shower stalls. He sat on the sofa in the common room, waiting for someone to show.

The last stage of the assignments took a bit longer--the group whittled down to Emni and the new Security Chief. "Happy to do a formal check in when you're ready," Emni advised the man as they stepped into the turbolift to move to Deck 3. "Of course no rush. This can easily account for things until you're settled in and ready for an in person briefing. Just let me know."

Cassian adjusted his grip on the carrier that Blue was in which elicited a raspy meow from her and he laughed, "Sorry, girl, not too much longer now." He then looked to the XO while he took in the surroundings for some familiarity, "I'm more than happy to do a formal check in whenever you wish, I can work things in around you. I just want to get this one settled in first, if that's okay?"

"Deck 3," Emni advised the lift and then nodded. Dropping into a crouch before the carrier. "Of course," she said to Maritz before addressing the creature within, "Hello beautiful."

She offered a finger for sniffing and, without looking away from the cat, asked, "What's her name?"

"Her name is Blue Chai, or usually just Blue," Cassian added as he watched the exchange, "She's an Oriental Shorthair and I make sure she goes wherever I go, so my superiors have to understand that if I can't have her, they can't have me." He watched as Blue leant forward and sniffed the offered finger but kept her jade coloured eyes trained on the new person and did the same raspy meow at her but kept purring.

"Hi Blue," Emni cooed, pulling her hand back, but not yet standing. Instead she craned her neck up to Maritz. "She's lovely. I've got one of my own. A black boy named Kyi'i." The thought of Kyi'i sent a pang through her. Another reminder of Karim's impending departure. He was leaving Kyi'i behind with her ostensibly because he had come to like Emni better. In reality Karim's still unsettled emotions gave him away. She hadn't told him that she knew he felt it was a way to leave a bit of himself... his friendship... with her.

Straightening, Emni ran her hands down her pant legs just in time for the lift to stop and the door to open. "You're rooming with Commander Cross," she said over her shoulder.

"Perfect ," Cassian replied as he followed her out the lift.

"I know cats are often solitary creatures," she commented warmly as Cassian fell into step with her, "but should Blue ever need a furry companion we can certainly put them together and see how they do. Heaven only knows Kyi'i is used to all of the comings and goings. The living area of my quarters doubles as my office."

"She, um, hasn't really had that much interaction with other animals, to be honest, but we can always see how they go." Cassian gave the XO a smile.

Emni nodded. "Just an idea and certainly not a requirement." She pulled them to a stop outside of a doorway and turned to look at the new Security Chief. "This is you," she commented and then, once again, repeated the process of handing over the room. "Commander Cross may be on duty, but if you peek in the two rooms you'll see which one is empty. Feel free to track me down whenever you're ready to get started."

Cassian nodded his head in thanks, "Thank you, Commander. I'll come by for a formal check in soon once I've got everything sorted."

=/\= A Mission Post By =/\=

Captain Bjorn Kodak
Commanding Officer

Commander Emni t'Nai
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Cassian Maritz
Chief of Security

Lieutenant JG Josh Peters
Assistant Chief of Security

Lieutenant JG Paisley F'Rar
Assistant Chief of Engineering

With special NPC assist from Heather as Petty Officer Rirahl