Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds - The Final Award
Quinn Reynolds
((Main Shuttlebay, USS Juneau))
Quinn stood quietly by while Oddas presented the crew of the Juneau with their awards. She was proud to see some of her own crew singled out, though a little less pleased that for one of them, it was to receive the Purple Heart. Some seemed almost dazed at the awards on offer, their hearts and minds elsewhere, and she suspected that the news of the Vulcan crew's survival and rescue had yet to fully filter through.
That some were being hard on themselves wasn't necessarily a bad thing — it was important for a Starfleet officer to interrogate their decisions, to learn from their actions and go forward with new knowledge and understanding. But it was easy to turn it into self-recrimination and hopeless "what if"s that did nothing except drag you down. It was all about finding that fine line between identifying where things could have been done better, and where you had done the best you could with what you had.
Oddas: It has been my pleasure to serve with you all on this endeavour and despite its obvious dangers, fun. You have made an Engineer's dream come true. ::She picked up a glass filled with the pale blue of kali-fal.:: To the crew of the Juneau!
Kiliak: Here here!
Kelrod: Here here!
Glasses were raised, the sentiment was repeated through the crowd. The moods on display ranged from ebullient to sombre, and Quinn glanced toward the Juneau's commanding officer as the woman took a sip of her Romulan beverage. The interference of the Orion Syndicate hadn't been anticipated — at least to the extent it had presented itself — and the fact that she'd got the Juneau and crew through it all in one piece was remarkable.
She left it a few moments, for that initial round of celebrations to die down and stepped forward as the volume of chatter began to diminish. Her movement soon drew eyes, the Admiral stepping forward to speak, and once she had the collective attention of the crew, she began to speak.
Reynolds: There's one last award to present.
She maintained a small smile, well-practised on the face of a woman who struggled with public speaking. But the struggle was worth it, seeing the swell of pride lighting the eyes of those who'd earned the recognition.
Reynolds: The simple fact is that this project wouldn't exist without the intellect, dedication and courage of Captain Oddas Aria. From its foundation in her discoveries of additional subspace layers, to commanding the test flight of the USS Juneau in the face of sabotage and assault, she has been a driving force, pushing back the boundaries of our technology, knowledge and understanding. We are more than we were, and it's thanks to Captain Oddas. ::She paused for a brief moment.:: It's for this reason I am honoured to present her with the Distinguished Service Ribbon.
Her smile widened, and she slipped a small case out of her pocket, opening the lid and presenting it to the Bajoran. No handshake was offered, the half-Deltan always eschewing that particular human tradition, but she did offer a brief, congratulatory pat on the woman's bicep.
Oddas: Response
Reynolds: Congratulations, Captain. ::Her eyebrows quirked up, warmth on her freckled features.:: And very well done.
Oddas: Response