Lt JG Imril - Stepping Up (In More Ways Than One)
Chris Taylor
((Elysium - Deck 6 - USS Artemis-A))
Imril sat near the back of the gathering, having managed to claim a seat beside one of the windows. Blue-white stars streaked by, stretched into lines by the Atermis’ race towards the Alpha Aisles.
Medal ceremonies had become almost normal. There was a certain ease to the proceedings. People came and went, Scientist Richards in particular looking to make a speedy exit the moment her babies needed her. And also a certain formality, which became more focused when the acting CO stepped up to initiate the presentation of awards.
Munro: I had a speech planned out. I'm not very good at these things: dress uniforms and formalities. It's not something I've ever really got accustomed to so I'll make this as quick and painless as possible.
K’Wara: Hear hear!
Bergmen: Hear with your ears, listen with your heart.
Roy snorted.
Imril smiled.
Munro: These are symbols of your steadfast adherence to duty, it wasn't easy. But you all behaved like exemplary Starfleet officers and on that note the entire crew have earned themselves the Starfleet Investigation Ribbon and the Peacekeeper Service Ribbon.
Imril was among the last to be delivered the noted boxes by Munro’s aids. Having not been called up personally, they simply nodded their acceptance and thanks to her.
Munro: To start things off, I have a special ribbon for Lt Commander Jovenan.
Jovenan: Oh?
Imril leaned in to better see and hear whatever richly-deserved accolade the lederof their expedition to the New Hope was about to receive.
Munro: I had barely stepped onboard the Artemis before I was tasked by taking on temporary command, and the dubious chore of selecting a first officer. We were strangers then, extending the hand of trust to one another. I'm glad you accepted and I hope we've come away from this experience closer to being friends. I award you the Superior Support Ribbon, Commander Jovenan.
Jovenan: Thank you, sir. It has been a pleasure to get to know you as well, even if it was in these circumstances.
Imril’s applause, and that of others, was accented by a ‘whoop’ from Roy. As it gently faded, Commander Munro carried on.
Munro: Please step forward, Lt. K'Wara, Ensign Cole and Ensign Tho'Bi.
K'Wara: Ah. ::swigs:: Showtime.
Tho'Bi: Responses
Munro: When we join the academy we're taught that Starfleet is more than our assigned duty posts and it seems we're supposed to be more than the sum of our parts :: looks to Tho'Bi and smiles :: It's a challenge, at times. But each of you showed me that you can rise to that challenge. In dealing with the Boraxian diplomat and :: to Cole and K'Wara :: Andoren :: beat :: you proved those academy professors right in their insistence to teach us all Diplomacy 101. Even if it did make me want to fall asleep.
K'Wara: Thank you, Commanders.
Cole: ::nodding slightly:: Thank you.
Tho'Bi: Response
Jovenan: Congratulations.
Imril joined the others in a new round of applause.
Munro: Lt. K'Wara you stay where you are for now. Can Commander Jovenan, Doctor Morgan, Lt. Imril, Samantha Richards and Doctor Jaran join them.
Imril rose to follow the others to the Captain, somewhat surprised to be included with this particular group of individuals. The ones gathered to review the New Hope medlab materials.
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: Your efforts to uncover the mystery surrounding the altered crystals and ultimately deliver a safe remedy to the effects it had on the Boraxian population has not gone unnoticed. Each of you is awarded the Scientific Discovery Ribbon. With Doctors Morgan and Jaran along with Richards and Imril earning the Medical Science Ribbon as well.
Morgan: Thank you, Commander.
Jaran: Thank you, sir.
Richards: Much appreciated. Thank you.
Imril: Thank you, Captain.
Until Munro stood relieved of command, this was still the proper way to address her.
Bergmen: Hooray! Congratulation!
Bancroft: ::clapping:: Sam! Imril! Chief! Jaran!
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: Doctor Morgan and Lt Imril you are dismissed for now. I'm not quite finished with the rest of you yet.
Back to their seat Imril went, blushing somewhat from Roy and Ollie’s enthusiasm. The fact of the matter was that Imril had done all due diligence in their scientific explorations of the evidence provided by the New Hope materials, collected and processed as much data as was possible to collect regarding the crystals … and had come to exactly the wrong conclusion about what Andoren had done to them and why. It was a little embarrassing, frankly. But that was the scientific process; sometimes you get it wrong and others have to find the correct course to get to the underlying truth of things.
They had told Luirétt that Federation scientists stood on the shoulders of giants. Some of them were right there in this room.
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: You have all earned the Innovation Ribbon as well.
Jaran: Umm Thank you. ::beat:: Again.
Richards: It’s not much. But it’s honest work.
Roy laughed aloud at that.
Munro: :: good humoured :: Now you can return.
K'Wara: ::winks:: A fair load heavier, Commander. Thank you.
Tho’Bi: Response
More applause followed, then gradually died down once more as the assembled officers departed the front of the room.
Munro: Can Lt. Commander Silveira, Lt. Storm, Lt. Imril and Ensign Bancroft step forward.
Imril: .oO(If your were going to call me right back up, you could have asked me to stand over to the side)Oo.
Roy stood slowly, slow enough that Imril was all but beside him by the time he got going. There was a tension in him that reminded Imril of how they’d felt at their first award ceremony aboard the ship. The belief that they might be called up to be reprimanded warring with the duty to follow the command to get up and take your medicine.
Imril: ::Whispering to Bancroft:: It’ll be fine. Trust me.
Munro: Old Earth Humans had a popular saying to describe heroic feats, “running into a burning building”. Each of you did just that, you didn't know what you were going to find or discover within it. Or if you'd even come back out again. Yet, you still ran into a burning building. You've earned yourselves a Starfleet Medal of Commendation. Wear it proudly.
Storm: Thank you, Commander.
Roy was slower to answer.
Bancroft: Thank you, Commander. ::nodding to his fellow officers:: I was fortunate to be teamed with some very capable officers.
Imril: ::To Bancroft::As we were fortunate to be teamed with you. ::To Munro:: Thank you again, Captain.
This walk back to their seat was different than the last. The other ribbons were a boon to have… but a Medal Of Commendation? That was another level. For them, and the others who had received it.
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: Doctor Morgan please step forward again and Lt. Bergmen and Ensign Cole can you join him please.
Imril was only mildly surprised, and somewhat gleefully, by the annoyance the higher-ranked Doctor exhibited to his name being called.
Morgan: ::quietly:: Oh you've got-
Cole offered Doctor Morgan a shrug.
Bergmen: No need to fret, doctor; it’s just a little sting.
Imril chuckled at that.
Munro: For staying behind, administering aid to the Boraxian people and upholding Starfleet values you are awarded the Good Conduct Ribbon.
Morgan: ::nodding:: All in a day's work.
Cole: Just did what needed to be done.
Bergmen: And even in the hardest moments, we remained persistent, united in our fidelity and honor.
Bergmen’s words, as much or more than the delivery of the reward which had inspired them, produced another round of applause. Imril being one of the louder clappers.
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: Ensign Cole please remain. Doctor Bancroft can you join her please.
Roy’s head whipped in surprise.
Munro: I shall only be acting Captain for a short while more but I cannot express the pleasure it gives me to be the CO who gets to do this final honour.
Munro picked up one of the wooden boxes sitting in front of her and stepped closer to Cole.
Munro: Ensign Cole, you are hereby promoted from Ensign to Lt. JG :: smiles warmly :: You've earned that shiny new pip, Lieutenant. And try not to blow anything up when you celebrate.
Cole: No explosions ::beat:: I guess I can try that.
Jovenan: Congratulations, Lieutenant.
Richards: That’s my friend!
Tho’Bi: Response
Munro: Ensign Bancroft, you are hereby promoted to Lt. JG. This means you'll be expected to do five more kilometres. Well earned, Roy.
Five more kilometers? What was that all about?
Bancroft: ::snapping to attention:: Thank you, Ma’am.
Jovenan: Congratulations, Lieutenant.
Richards: That’s also my friend!
Any: Response
Roy departed the podium with Cole, applause chasing them bot back to their seats.
Munro: I have one final order of duty to perform. Lt. K’Wara can you step forward.
K’Wara: Sir?
Munro: I don’t have a new pip but you have a new assignment Lt. We are appointing you the new Chief of Operations for the Artemis. Well done. Lt. Vailani will be remaining onboard while she stops into a new role.
(( OOC: Removing The initial conversation between Jaran/Bancroft/Cole/Bergmen as Imril is not entering it until after Jaran leaves. ))
The award part of the ritual ended without formal dismissal, and people started milling. Eager as they were to personally congratulate the newly-inducted JGs,
The engineer found themself accepting and responding to the accolades of several crewfolk around them first.
When Imril finally stepped up to the bar, it was into a place vacated by Doctor Jaran.
Bergmen: Congratulations, well deserved promotions, both of you. (beat) I am pleased to inform you that your new quarters connected to that promotion will be ready for you to move into within 24 hours... ::pause for a second:: But if you would like to say goodbye to your former roommates, don't worry; it will take at least three days, and possibly a little longer, before the the wheel of all-wise bureaucracy turns and we come for You to evict you from your old bunks.
Bancroft: Thank you, Lieut– er… Ollie. I’ve got a bit of packing up to do in my old quarters.
Cole: Response
Bergmen: So, how do you feel? Ready to step in and slip into the new shoes of hollow pip responsibilities? ::to Jaran:: And you, Ensign, happy to have Crasss…ehm, Lieutenant Bancroft as your attending?
Roy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and smiled.
Bancroft: You know, I really have grown fond of that nickname. I’ve been thinking of petitioning to officially amend my legal name. ::a beat:: Not that I haven’t been considering that for my entire life for… entirely unrelated reasons.
He cleared his throat theatrically.
Bancroft: Aaaaaanyway… tell me, Ollie, what exactly does it mean to wear that hollow pip? You certainly make it look… easy.
He elbowed Bergmen good-naturedly.
Bergmen: response
Imril: ::To Bancroft and Cole:: Congratulations, you two. Has Ollie already presented himself as the goodwill ambassador from Deck Three yet? Or is the job still open?
Cole/Bancroft/Bergmen: Response
Imril: If you need help with packing, just let me know. ::Mock sneakiness:: Then again, you can always order someone else to do it.
As Imril could have done back when they had either moved into or out of the billeting they’d shared with Roy. They hadn’t taken advantage of that little bit of power themself on either occasion.
Cole/Bancroft/Bergmen: Response
The bartender slid over Imril’s way, causing them to contemplate a drink. This happy occasion called for a root beer, which is what they asked for.
Imril: So, do either of you know what you’re going to do first, as JGs?
Cole/Bancroft/Bergmen: Response
[TAG/TBC!]
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Lieutenant JG Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12