[10F] Capt Egan Manno & LtCmdr Bakari: Best Part of the Job (ALL)

[Rich]

(( Ten Forward ))

:: The space was hardly empty, but Cassie had arrived a good forty-five minutes before the ceremony was set to begin. She came in her dress uniform, pips and ribbons in a lacquered box she’d replicated a few minutes before. She was missing now, more than ever, the loss of those old engine parts she’d used for promotions past -- but that was neither here nor there, and she only poked the box away from her as she gathered her drink, sat down at a table, and waited for Bakari.

She beckoned him over when he entered -- as though he wouldn’t see her, or he wasn’t sure who he was meeting -- and she relaxed into her chair once he’d sat down. ::

Egan Manno: A question, Commander: What do you prefer to be called? Bakari? Msafiri? Something else?

:: Msafiri tugged at the sleeves of his dress uniform for a moment. He didn’t wear it often -- maybe only a handful of times since that ceremony in Paris three years ago when the Federation President presented the Medal of Honor to Jennifer and Tashuan’s families. They were always just a little too fancy for his tastes, but then again, he supposed that was the point. It was a “dress” uniform, wasn’t it? ::

Bakari: Either is fine, captain. I’d say most people refer to me as Bakari, but then, most people aren’t my captain.

:: He grinned back at his CO. ::

Egan Manno: Perhaps -- but, in any event, we needn’t involve any formality for a few minutes yet. So: which name would you prefer?

Bakari: Msafiri is what my friends call me. :: He tilted his head slightly as he pondered the question. :: I think that works.

Egan Manno: Then that’s what I’ll call you.

:: Which seemed a strange way to phrase it, but she felt awkward even asking, as though she’d pried into his personal life. She wanted to shake her head: It was absurd, of course. What could be simpler than knowing if her XO preferred to be called by his first name? ::

Bakari: Yourself, ma’am?

:: And yet that caught her off-guard. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but again she felt awkward even contemplating it. Still, she knew how she should answer, in order to foster the same spirit she’d wanted to by asking in the first place. ::

Egan Manno: My family and my closest friends call me Cassie. ::beat:: I think you ought to, as well.

:: He nodded. He wasn't sure if he'd really be comfortable using it, but he'd give it a shot. ::

Bakari: Noted. Well, I can’t say that’s what I thought the last mission was going to involve…

Egan Manno: --but you didn’t expect it to go the way it did. ::beat, quietly:: No. Nor I.

:: Her desire to wrap the survey up quickly and proceed on had certainly been derailed, anyway. Nor did it seem fair to immediately ask the crew to jump into those many and varied searches, given what had happened. ::

Bakari: Hmmmph. And it had sounded almost relaxing in the pre-mission briefing.

Egan Manno: I thought it would be. But -- space is weird.

:: She didn’t know how to put it any more succinctly, though perhaps that description wasn’t as detailed as the adventures aboard the Garuda over the last year-plus would’ve indicated. ::

Bakari: Very weird.

:: He returned a sigh. ::

Bakari: Fortunately, it could have been much worse I suppose. The casualties were light, all considering. How’s Lieutenant DeVeau? I haven’t had a chance to visit her yet since… the arboretum.

Egan Manno: I believe she’s continuing to rest in relative isolation. Doctor Skyfire believes there’s nothing physically wrong, but I’m interested to see what Counselor Moonsong thinks. If Alora joins us here today, it’ll be her first time out since.

:: She didn’t continue with an object after “since” -- he would know, she knew, what she meant. ::

Bakari: I hope she does. I think it’s important she sees that we’re here for her.

Egan Manno: How have cleanup efforts been going? I’m afraid I’ve been here and there, unable to help much.

Bakari: If you’re asking if the corridors more resemble a Starfleet vessel rather than the jungles of Nibiru, then yes, things are going well. There’s still an unfortunate stench though that permeates the decks…

:: He grinned back at the captain. ::

Bakari: Still, nothing we can’t handle.

:: She shook her head. ::

Egan Manno: I think it’s important that the crew see me out there. Visibility, you know. Solidarity. I should be there with them.

Bakari: ::nods:: I think the crew always appreciates it when they see a redshirt-- :: He cleared his throat. :: Ahem, when command is willing to get their hands dirty and join in. There’s still a bit of brush needing to be cleared on decks 12-17.

:: Msafiri looked over when the doors swished open to see the rest of the senior staff arrived. He turned back to Cassie. ::

Bakari: Ready, ma’am?

Egan Manno: To recognize their excellence? Always.

::They stood up and approached the center of the room. Most of the crew members who had gathered to observe had huddled around the bar. As soon as their captain began speaking, though, the room grew silent. All eyes were on her. ::

Egan Manno: Thank you for joining Commander Bakari and I here today. ::beat:: You have each played an invaluable part in ensuring that you could join us, and that there was a place, a space, and a ship left for this event. Your actions during our last mission ensured the safety and perpetuation of ship and crew. And for that, I want to recognize you. ::beat:: Doctor Mo’Phatz, please, if you’ll join me.

:: As she waited for the ensign to do so, Cassie lifted the box from the table and handed it to Msafiri. It was a horrible thing, she thought, clunky and unnatural -- but it was what she had for now, and it was the content that mattered here, not the structure. ::

Egan Manno: Doctor, your good work with the many crises during this mission have been invaluable to the medical staff and the crew of this ship. I am delighted to advance your rank immediately from ensign to lieutenant, junior grade.

:: She accepted the black pip from Msafiri and added it to Mo’Phatz’s collar. ::

Mo’Phatz: ?

:: As the new lieutenant JG began to turn away, though, Msafiri called out to the Orion. ::

Bakari: ::smirking:: Not just yet, lieutenant.

Mo’Phatz: ?

Egan Manno: Ensign Lexicon and Doctor Skyfire, will you also join us, please?

:: As they did so, Cassie glanced over at Msafiri and the box. Ribbons would be tougher to pin, though she was pleased that most officers there had worn their clusters. Easier, then. ::

Egan Manno: Ensign Lexicon, your discovery of the mutated plants’ susceptibility to vibrations at a certain frequency gave us our first clear advantage during the infestation, and lead directly to how we eliminated them from the Garuda. Doctors, had Ensign Lexicon not discovered the frequency, your creation of a complex, virulent herbicide would have eliminated the plants, as well, and was an impressive piece of bioengineering. To each of you, I present the Innovation Ribbon.

Pods / Skyfire / Mo’Phatz: ?

:: Msafiri pinned the ribbons onto each of the officers’ uniforms and shook their hands. ::

Bakari: Congratulations.

Egan Manno: Ensign King, Chief Dunross, please join me.

:: As the two medical officers and Pods Lexicon returned to their seats, Ensign King and Chief Dunross passed and replaced them next to Cassie and Msafiri. ::

Egan Manno: Ensign, Chief: You were thrust immediately into a difficult situation, one that barely allowed you to exit the shuttlebay where you’d landed for fear of your lives. Yet your assistance in that situation allowed the shuttlebay to remain a free and viable site for evacuation -- which was thankfully unnecessary -- and allowed Ensign Lexicon to make his discovery. Your arrivals were both fortuitous and critical, and I would like to recognize you both with the Captain’s Commendation.

Bakari: ::nods:: Congratulations, Ensign. ::to Dunross:: Chief.

King / Dunross: ?

:: They’d moved from science officers Lexicon to Dunross and now arrived at the chief science officer herself: Cassie looked right at Alora, who she hadn’t been sure would come, as she asked her to join her. ::

Egan Manno: Lieutenant DeVeau, please.

:: Msafiri was ready with the box, but Cassie’s eyes locked on Alora’s and didn’t let go. ::

Egan Manno: Lieutenant, no one can know exactly what you went through when the Kindred invaded your mind. I would not even speak of it here, except that it seems cruel not to acknowledge that suffering. I won’t speak at length, though -- I will only grant to you a second Prisoner of War Ribbon, represented by the Gold Star.

DeVeau: ?

:: Msafiri pinned the star to Alora’s cluster, but as she turned to go-- ::

Egan Manno: If you’ll stay for a moment, Lieutenant? Ensign Greyson and Lieutenant Knight, please?

:: She waited for a moment as the named officers joined her. ::

Egan Manno: There are no congratulations here -- each of you underwent pain and struggle far beyond the call of duty. Yet you persevered and withstood, and for that, I would like to recognize each of you with the Purple Heart. Commander Calderan is also noted in absentia.

DeVeau / Knight / Greyson: ?

:: As the group departed, Msafiri called to Counselor Moonsong. ::

Bakari: Counselor, if you’d join us?

Moonsong: ?

:: As she approached the pair, Cassie couldn’t help but feel her respect and friendship with Carys coloring her reaction to the younger counselor: Raissa had not only had to deal with as much as the rest of the crew during the mission (and every mission), but she also had much more to deal with on leave as the staff dissembled on their downtime. ::

Egan Manno: You’ve done good work, Counselor. I know there would be some officers who wouldn’t be sitting here today but for you. ::beat:: I might be one of them. ::another beat:: I could never expect anything from you but your best. This ship is what it is because of you. And it’s my great pleasure to promote you to the rank of full lieutenant.

Moonsong: ?

:: Cassie removed, with a quick nod of assent from Moonsong, the black pip from her collar and replaced it with another of gold. ::

Moonsong: ?

Bakari: Now don’t go anywhere, Lieutenant.

:: He looked over at the engineers who were standing nearby. ::

Bakari: Chief Valaine, Ensign Greyson, and you, too, Tristam. Get up here.

:: The three named engineers joined them. Cassie, who had missed at some point that Chief Valaine had a tail, glanced at him for a moment longer than might have been prudent. She’d simply have to ask later, that was all. ::

Egan Manno: We have each of you to thank for ensuring that the Garuda and her crew came through this crisis. Commander, Ensign, Chief: You effectively implemented the plan to rid the Garuda of its infestation with Ensign Lexicon’s disruptive frequency -- and you showed the highest caliber of service in the dedication shown to your trapped fellow engineers. Counselor, your communication with the Bodhisattva of the Community revealed the truth of what lived in the Genesis Cloud. For these actions, I recognize each of you with the Legion of Merit.

Core / Valaine / Greyson / Moonsong: ?

:: Again, she stood aside as Msafiri did the actual pinning. As he did so, ::

Egan Manno: Lieutenant Delano and Commander Mei’konda, please?

:: Cassie nodded with a small smile to the engineers as they returned to their seats and saved a small squeeze of her hand for Raissa Moonsong. As Evan and Mei’konda joined them, Cassie took the box from Msafiri. ::

Egan Manno: Please join your fellows, Commander.

:: Once he had, and the three stood arrayed, Cassie spoke to them and to the group. ::

Egan Manno: Each of you knew what likely awaited in the arboretum. Or: perhaps no one did, and no one could have. In either case, your choice to enter and confront that terrible known or awful unknown represents with distinction the honorable actions I would’ve expected from each of you. For that work, I present you each with the Distinguished Service Ribbon.

Delano / Mei’konda: ?

Bakari: Thank you, Captain.

:: After she had pinned each of them, she spoke to the group. ::

Egan Manno: Commander Calderan, for her actions, will also receive the Distinguished Service Ribbon. ::beat:: Lieutenant, if you’ll stay with me, please.

:: As Mei’konda returned to his seat, Cassie handed the box back to Msafiri, mind roiling. This would be the trickiest to present, she knew. ::

Egan Manno: Lieutenant Delano, you brought to my attention some potentially unsavory information before this mission began. Though I’m loathe to expand at present, you also ensured the safety of a civilian whose life you believed was in danger. For both actions and their conspicuous gallantry, I would like to recognize you with the Good Conduct Ribbon. Since this is your second such award, you’ll receive the Good Conduct Ribbon plus its associated Gold Star.

Delano: ?

:: After Evan had returned to his seat, Cassie again took the box from Msafiri. This time, however, she turned it so that the staff could see what remained inside: Many of the same ribbon, gold on navy. ::

Egan Manno: Though it didn’t precede in a way that Starfleet, you, or I imagined it would, this mission still provided us with much valuable information about the Genesis Cloud, the nature of protomatter conglomerations, and the entity or entities known as the Kindred. For your part in those discoveries, everyone will receive the Explorer’s Ribbon. Commander Calderan and  Lieutenants Falcon and Trel’lis will also receive this ribbon in absentia.

:: This time, Cassie walked out among her officers, asking that each one stand in turn so that she could pin the ribbon. She was able to append each with a smile, a nod, a handshake, or some combination, and she returned to the front with her box quite empty. ::

Egan Manno: Thank you for your attendance and your help in recognizing your and your colleagues’ successes. If you wish, you may remain with the crew for a while -- but please feel free to leave. Again, thank you.

:: She applauded her crew, leading a round of clapping that others quickly joined in. ::

:: As the crowd began to disperse, with some crew members turning to chat or grab a drink from the bar, Msafiri looked back at the captain. ::

Bakari: So we’re done?

:: She half-smiled. She understood where his question was coming from, or she thought she did: Circumstance was fine, but now that it was done, she was plenty happy to exchange her spot in the lights for some more one-on-one time with her officers and her friends. ::

Egan Manno: We’re done.

:: Msafiri smiled even broader than he had during the ceremony. ::

Bakari: Then permission to change out of this “uniform,” captain.

Egan Manno: Absolutely. As soon as you’re able. ::beat:: And I think I’ll do the same.

Bakari: Aye!

:: The first officer gave a final nod before making a beeline for his quarters. ::

TAG!

Captain Cassandra Egan Manno

Commanding Officer, USS Garuda

&

Lt. Commander Msafiri Bakari

First Officer, USS Garuda