Lt Commander Serala: Mission Briefing - Return to Tibro, part 2
Jim Davis
(( Conference Room, Deck 3 Primary Hull, USS Chin’toka ))
It was done. Her first command over in just a few days. Serala wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. She had always wanted to command this crew, but she had never wanted it the way she had gotten it. Nor did she feel she was ready for full-time command. That time would come, but that time was not today.
Mei’konda: Thank you, Commander. Wiith that out of the way, let’s get staarted.
Serala settled back, prepared to listen to the briefing.
Mei’konda: I’m sure this will not surprise any of you, but we have been assigned to return to the Par’tha Expanse.
oO Nope, no surprise there. Oo
Levinson: ::Nodding:: It certainly seems like the logical choice, given the crew’s experience in the region.
Kiax: ::Quietly:: We are quite prolific out there, it must be said. But…
Snow / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Responses (If any)
Raga: Well, I don’t know how excited anyone will be to be heading back into the Expanse, but it will be good to be doing something to focus on again.
Mei’konda: Regaardless of anyone’s level of excitement, Commander, that is the task we have been assigned. Thaankfully, our mission is one of diplomacy. :: He glanced down at his PADD for a moment, then back up. :: We haave been invited to the planet Tibro, by one Grand Admiral Lorrein Dels’an. Appaarently, they are grateful to this crew for serviices rendered in a priior mission, and Starfleet Command sees this as a good opportunity to both put this ship and crew through a shaakedown cruise. I agree with their assessment.
oO Tibro?! Nnea oiuu’n hhakh dyypan nohtho hhaineinevher! Oo (Of all the stupid, incompetent, crazy ideas!)
The last time Serala was on that planet, she was days away from having her baby, stranded in a frozen wilderness following the crash of the Ambassador’s yacht following a failed assassination attempt, and running from enemy special forces bent on killing the Admiral and her allies. But that wasn’t the worst part. Tibro was the place her husband had been murdered and was absolutely the last place in the galaxy Serala wanted to go. Not trusting herself to speak, she remained silent, her jaw clenched in barely restrained fury. It would not do to make a bad impression on this new Captain who had never met her before.
Kiax: It’ll certainly be interesting seeing how the Valcarians react to our new flagship…
Interesting was not exactly the word choice Serala had in mind.
Snow / Levinson / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Responses
Mei’konda: Yes, no doubt. Commander Raga, the status of the SORT?
Raga: We’re still working on getting the senior staff up to speed on the new SORT procedures and training. But it’s going well. I would say by the time we get back to Par’tha it’ll be done, but I’m assuming we’re going to be pushing the new Mark XV engines?
Snow / Levinson / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Responses
Mei’konda: Yes. Commander Rosek, expect an order to briing us to maximum warp whiile we are en route. You know that I prefer to test such thiings before a real emergency arises.
Rosek: Response
Raga: As, to my knowledge, I’m one of the few people on this ship who’s traveled faster than Warp Ten. ::He glanced at Levinson:: It’s a unique experience. I’d advise you all don’t eat anything right before we jump to warp.
Serala focused on her breathing as Mister Mika had told her. The fact that the conversation had turned to a more business nature was helping.
Mei’konda: I would remiind you all that while these are in faact new engine desiigns, we will still be traveling at sub-transwarp speeds. ::He smiled slightly.:: There is no daanger of spontaneous evolution.
Levinson: Yes, I am able to confirm the assessment, sir. I did not observe any signs of spontaneous evolution from neither me nor my former crew on the Juneau. ::she paused, her expression stoic as were all Vulcans:: Yet.
Snow / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Response
Raga: No. Well. I’m sure they’ve worked things out better now. As long as no warp entities decide to pay us a visit it should be fine. ::He looked at those gathered around the table and waved his hand:: Long story.
Mei’konda: Let’s saave it for laater and continue with the briefing, shall we, Commander?
Levinson: Yes, I believe the story could wait for a later time.
Raga / Snow / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Response
Mei’konda: Thaank you, everyone. Now, most of you can thaank me now - there will be diiplomaatic functions to attend, and most of you will not haave to be there. You will be testiing the Chin’toka’s systems, and we may be assistiing the Valcarians with archaeological digs on their planet. I realiize that this… Valcarian Empire does not exaactly hold to Federaation ideaals, but this is even more of a reason to learn what we caan of their history. Questions?
Levinson: Yes, sir. What is the nature of the diplomatic functions, and of the archaeological digs?
Kiax: While I can’t answer the first, the second I do have some experience with. As far as we’re aware – though I did spend most of the time on my back staving off death – the dig sites are investigating ancient Chon ruins on the planet. They were buried deep underground, which is how they remained undiscovered for so long. The one we investigated while there previously seemed to be some kind of cathedral-like structure. Possibly linked to rumours of a cultist group among the Chon, dating back to before the Upper Palaeolithic era of Earth History... Between 13,000 and 10,000 BC. I don’t think we got further than the exterior of it before I… well… “Died”.
Raga / Snow / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Logan / Rosek: Responses
oO Yes, but you lived. Stevok didn’t. Oo
It wasn’t fair to her, and Serala knew it. But Esa had indeed died. Thanks to the quick actions of her wife, Esa had lived. Meanwhile, Serala’s husband laid in a pool of his green blood. Cold and dead.
Mei’konda: Response
Serala: Captain, with respect, sir. I don’t know if you are aware of my - our - history with that planet, but it was not a good one. Especially for myself. My husband was murdered there and if I am to be honest, I still harbor some resentment about that fact. The man who did it was delirious at the time, but I find it hard to move past that. I would like to request permission to remain on the ship while we are there.
Raga / Snow / Levinson / th'Koro / Tal'Aura / Ganarvuss / Kiax / Logan / Rosek: Responses
A239412S10