Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds - A Meeting of Mixed Tidings

[Quinn Reynolds]

((Conference Room, USS Gorkon))

::Quinn waited until her senior staff had assembled in the conference room. Some looked the worse for wear; whether that be down to the excesses of the night before, the news of the night before, or some combination of the pair. With that in mind, she'd made sure that there were jugs of water, pots of tea and cafetieres of coffee ready for people to help themselves to. She sat at the head of the table, supping on her own cup of tea until appeared that everyone was settled and ready to listen.::

Reynolds: I'd scheduled this meeting for some happier news, but unfortunately events have conspired against us and I have to begin on a sour note.

::Quinn avoided a glance toward the Gorkon's remaining Marshall. She'd summoned her XO back from leave some time before the late morning briefing, to deliver the same news privately and give Jo some time to process her brother's actions and defection out of the public eye.::

Reynolds: Some of you may have heard the rumours already. Lieutenant Sienelis was arrested last night on charges of treason, espionage and murder. Evidently, she's been under investigation for some time; Starfleet Security and JAG allege she engineered an accident on a refugee ship to prevent the defection of a valuable Romulan scientist, and has been feeding information to the Empire via the Syndicate since.

Any: Response?

Reynolds: Evidently, she had a co-conspirator in the form of Lieutenant Orson Marshall. We knew that he'd been in contact with the Syndicate, and we were planning to turn that to our advantage. Unfortunately, we *didn't* know about his... ::she paused to pick her words, a dry emphasis on her next word,:: ...connection to Sienelis. He broke her out of the brig in the early hours of the morning, and they escaped the system aboard MacFarlane's personal shuttle. 

::Her gaze flicked to the engineer at that. Quinn had rarely been one to get too attached to objects; she didn't anthropomorphise the vessels she served on the way many engineers did. But the shuttle had been more than just a ship, it had been the sum of hard work and toil, the combined efforts of not just MacFarlane, but many of her friends and colleagues.:: 

Any: Response

::Next was the news she suspected would unsettle many, and she took care to be firm but sympathetic when she delivered it.::

Reynolds: We're not going after them. I've discussed the matter with Admiral Sotek; in light of how well they were able to conceal their trail and the head start they managed, he believes it would take an excess amount of our time and resources, and we both agree that the Gorkon's scheduled mission takes priority. Their profiles have been passed to FedSec and all ports are on the lookout. But for now, they're in the wind.

Any: Response

::She didn't want to dwell on the events of the previous day, nor their upcoming mission. There would be time for that later; for now she wanted to concentrate on the reason she had originally scheduled the meeting in the first place.:: 

Reynolds: A briefing isn't why I've dragged you all away from beaches and cocktails. ::She paused.:: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who attended Crewman Virgil Hawkins' memorial. His family appreciated the kind words spoken, and I hope that his posthumous commendations — the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Ribbon and the Gold Lifesaving Ribbon — offer them some comfort that he died well, courageously taking care of others.

::She paused, leaving a quiet few moments for the assembled officers to reflect on the young man's sacrifice. Some of them had been with him in his final moments, and she hoped that Starfleet honouring his sacrifice brought them some comfort, too.::

Reynolds: The nature of the incident aboard the Njörðr means that we all suffered injuries that saw us under the care of the Yarahla's doctors. As such, everyone here is the recipient of a Purple Heart. ::She paused, glancing toward Marshall.:: Commander, if you would?

Marshall/Any: Response: 

::Quinn sat quietly while the ribbons were passed out by her XO, taking the opportunity to sup at her tea and watch the faces of her crew. Some of them were no doubt churning over the opening of the meeting, while the thoughts of others might well be back on the wreck of the Njörðr. Once everyone had their box in front of them, a small band of purple stowed safely inside, she continued on.::

Reynolds: While it caused considerable strife, the nebula was nonetheless a remarkable discovery, and one that scientists will be researching for a long time to come. Starfleet would like to recognise our findings with the Explorer's Ribbon, to all crew who were present.

Marshall/Any: Response: 

::It was, in so many ways, the basic nature of what they did. Space was inherently hostile to life; absent air and heat, filled with radiation… and that was before anything instinctively or maliciously hostile was considered. But it was filled with mystery and wonder, and seeking it out despite the danger was the very reason they were out here.::

Reynolds: I'm sure that you all remember hearing the warnings of a warp core breach early in the accident. It was thanks to the actions of Lieutenant Commander Vondaryan, Lieutenant MacFarlane and Lieutenants Neathler and Smith that event was avoided, and so I'm pleased to recognise their skills and teamwork with a Captain's Commendation.

Vondaryan/MacFarlane/Neathler/Smith: Response

::They all owed their lives to those four; had they been a little slower, or a little less coordinated as a team, none of them would have survived the stricken ship. Accordingly, the presentation of their ribbons was met with various shows of appreciation, from smiles and nods to something more verbal. Once the congratulations had been exhausted, she moved on.::

Reynolds: As some of you discovered, the Njörðr was transporting prisoners who escaped their confinement in the accident. Their intentions and actions directly threatened everyone aboard, and thanks to the actions of several of you, they were returned to the brig aboard the Yarahla. Lieutenant Neathler is awarded the Prisoner of War and Good Conduct ribbons as a result of her encounter with the Njörðr's prisoners, while Ensign Gnaxac's actions are honoured with the Good Conduct and Gold Lifesaving ribbons.

Neathler/Gnaxac: Response

::Orson Marshall's contributions were left unmentioned, though not forgotten. His Good Conduct and Gold Lifesaving ribbons had been tucked away for when he returned, as had his supposed partner-in-crime's commendations. While Smith had also been present, it just wasn't appropriate to present him with any kind of award in light of his reckless actions in the Jefferies' tube. A harsh lesson, but hopefully one the young man would learn from.::

Reynolds: The accident caused the release of a pathogen in the biomedical laboratories. It took ingenuity and determination to prevent their cases of Rushton's Disease from running its course, and so I'm pleased to award Lieutenant Commander Marshall, Lieutenant Adea and Ensign Tis with Starfleet's Silver Lifesaving Ribbon.

Marshall/Adea/Tis: Response

::The reports had laid bare what had happened with the other group who had also been infected. After reading them, Quinn allowed herself a quiet, guilty moment to be relieved that the Vulcan woman who had died in such an awful way hadn't been a member of her crew, and that those who survived were. Thankfully, Marshall, Adea and Tis had turned out to be an excellent team, and it was a shame that Basilone hadn't been able to recognise her part in that.::

Reynolds: Finally, there were a number of survivors in the crew lounge who owe their lives thanks to the actions of some of you. Lieutenant Sevo, Ensigns Arco and O'Rien, I'm delighted to award you the Gold Lifesaving Ribbon

::Chief Petty Officer Makkor was also in line to receive the ribbon, though he wasn't present at the officer's meeting. She was proud of all them, and more than happy to see them recognised for their courage in saving the lives of others.::

Reynolds: Just one last thing. ::She glanced toward the young woman she'd first met in the midst of Lladre's shenanigans.:: Ensign Corliss Fortune, in the time you've been with us, you've proven yourself to be an exceptional officer. Your skills, dedication and compassion are an example to all, and thus I'm proud to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, with all the associated duties, rights and responsibilities. 

::She led a round of applause for their counsellor, while the young woman was presented with her new pip. Fortune had already helped so many in her time aboard ship, kept her head in a crisis and more than earned her step up the ranks. Quinn was looking forward to seeing what she would achieve in the days to come.::

Reynolds: I expect we'll be breaking orbit in a couple of days, so try to enjoy Deluvia while you can. ::She paused,:: And I know some of you have questions. If you'll stay behind, I'll answer them as best I can. Everyone else, that's all for now.

::And with that dismissal, the conference room began to empty. Quinn reached for her mug, sipping at the last dregs of her tea, waiting to see who among them might want to linger.::

--
Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds
Commanding Officer

USS Gorkon

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