Lt Commander Serala: Briefing, Part 1
Serala
(( Conference Room, Deck 3 - Primary Hull, USS Chin’toka ))
Serala hadn’t remained on the bridge for long. She had left Lieutenant Commander Peters in charge and had come in here to get things ready. She had ordered a couple of insulated pitchers of cool water and glasses in case anyone needed a drink. Captain Thoran usually prepared some sort of snack for these things, but Serala didn’t really see the need. But she did want to make sure they had water if they wanted it, or needed it.
The doors opened up and the first of the staff members entered. Raga had been the first to enter and he moved over to her customary seat and began reading. Whatever it was, it brought a smirk to his lips. Amongst them was Ensign Nar from the Science Department, whom she had asked to have present at the meeting. His skills should be useful for what they had to do.
Serala: Ah, you are a bit early, but welcome. Come in and have a seat. We’ll get the briefing started shortly.
Rosek: Good day, Commander.
Serala: Jolan’tru.
Rosek: :: looks at Ylsin :: Are you new? I don’t believe I’ve seen you around.
Ylsin: Uh, no. No sir, I mean. I’ve been on board since we left spacedock.
Rosek: Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Chief Engineer. A pleasure to meet you, Ensign.
Serala moved around to her seat to wait for the others. She knew well enough that it wouldn’t take them long to arrive.
Nar: Ensign Nar Ylsin, planetary sciences. Uh, likewise.
Rosek: I guess I’m an early arrival?
Serala: Oh, just a bit, but if I know the rest, they will be here shortly.
Rosek: :: grinning :: Better early than late, I suppose.
Serala only nodded as Rosek took a seat and Nar moved over to look out of the windows. Counselor Azorius stepped in next with a cheery grin
Azorius: Good day everyone.
Serala: Welcome, Counselor.
The rest of the staff arrived shortly after and Serala knew it was time to begin. Of course, there was always one late comer, and this time it was Lephi, but she actually managed to make it in the nick of time. The apologetic look on the Ferengi’s face drew a slight smile from her and then Serala began, clearing her throat to get their attention.
Serala: Thank you all for coming. As you know, the Captain has been called away and has left me in charge. Meanwhile, however, our duties have not stopped. Starfleet Command has asked us to go on an exploration mission to a section of space just outside the Expanse, in an area that has been nicknamed the Uncharted Regions.
Raga: Interesting. We’ve never ventured there before.
Peters: Looking forward to it.
Rosek: :: grins :: About time Starfleet Command gave us something relaxing. Just think. We’ll be one of the first, if not the first, Starfleet ships to map the region.
Azorius: Indeed, the prospect of exploring a new area would increase the morale aboard the Chin’toka. It is, after all, why many of her crew joined Starfleet in the first place.
Nar: Yes, um, I’ll make sure we’re ready to go in the lower decks science labs.
Kiax: I’m sure Stellar Cartography are going to be having champagne parties when they hear the good news. :: She chuckled. :: Two mapping assignments in a row!
Lephi: It's an exciting time to be onboard. We'll make sure we're ready for anything down in the bowels.
McKnight: There's a lot of space to cover, ma'am. Uncharted could mean a lot of things.
Serala nodded at each comment before continuing.
Serala: Yes, it should be quite exciting to visit a region that few have ever been to. :: turning to Peters :: Our current course should bring us near the Drovna system. From there, we should be able to cut across Larokon space to Tigelis and then pick up the Homar route, which should enable us to kick it up to warp seven for a while.
Peters: The course changes should be easy enough. I’m not anticipating anything going horribly wrong like crashing into an asteroid at warp seven, though I will admit I’ve never jumped from five to seven in a single motion before.
Serala was impressed. He seemed to have studied the system’s flight paths well. She pressed a button and a region of space appeared on the holographic display, overlaid with known borders, namely that of the Beruna and Barahn Provinces of the Caraadian Republic.
Serala: This is our destination. A wedge of space lying between two of the more powerful Houses in the Caraadian Republic.
Peters: Do they have any travel restrictions I need to be made aware of like warp speed limits, weight class limits or otherwise?
Serala: There are not weight class limits that I am aware of, and the only speed restrictions are dictated by the Expanse itself. As you know, the whole Expanse is replete with detritus and other space debris that makes travel dangerous outside the designated space lanes. And even then, nav buoys are required to keep one on course. Now, we have a bit more latitude in that area, but even we can’t sustain high warp for long without endangering our systems.
Azorius: The Caraadian are a people from planet Oscion, is that right?
Raga: More or less. Oscion is their capital system, but it’s not their homeworld. The Caraadians are not native to the Expanse. They’ve merely taken up residence over the centuries after being forced out of their homeworld if I recall. They don’t even know where they come from at this point.
McKnight: :: Quietly. :: I can relate
Serala’s keen hearing had picked up on Amuro’s comment, but now was not the time to explore that statement.
Serala: Correct, we will reach the terminus of the route at Tegedaar and proceed from there to Tiraan, then on to our destination. A small sector lying in a wedge between Beruna Province and Barahn Province, but not claimed by either as far as we know.
Raga: Most of our dealings with the Houses have been either the Larokon, or Beruna at this point. The Atlantis’ first mission after her recommission was to Devron. Most of our current crew got our first taste of the politics of the region in that mission.
Rosek: :: pauses :: Do we know if there’s anything we should be careful of in the region? Anything that could affect the ship’s functioning?
Serala: Well, since it’s in uncharted space, we really don’t know what to expect there. That’s part of the reason we are going there. I would say, be prepared for anything. At the very least, we should keep the Science Department pretty busy. That’s where you will come in, Lieutenant Levinson. I would like you to oversee the science portion of the mission. :: turning to Ensign Nar :: Ensign Ylsin, I am assigning you to assist her.
Levinson: Response
Nar: Oh! Uh, yes, Commander. And uh, Ensign Nar, not Ylsin, please. Bajoran custom is for family names first, the individual's second.
oO Of course! Gah, my first mission briefing and I totally flub an Ensign’s name. Oo
She nodded at him and threw him an apologetic look.
Serala: Of course, Ensign Nar. My apologies.
Kiax: The long range sensors will be quite… Fuzzy… Toward the upper-middle of their range – though that is a problem we’re working to correct. The Astrometric lab won’t be much use until we do.
oO Good point. Oo
Serala: Commander Kiax, please make sure our sensors are at full operating capability once we arrive. The trip through the Expanse might play a little havoc with them. :: turning to Rosek :: Same for the engineering systems, Commander.
Rosek: :: Nods. :: Understood, Commander.
Kiax: Will do.
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