Ensign Ysatch Tori - Your Best Friend
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Patrick Hogan
Aug 10, 2026, 12:31:21 PM (6 days ago) Aug 10
to PBEM SB 118 Ops
((Drydock, Starbase 118))
If you asked a random denizen of the Alpha Quadrant to draw a Starfleet vessel from memory, odds are most would settle on a very similar profile. A curved saucer section. A neck leading down to the main hull fronted by a deflector dish. Two nacelles jutting off the back. Sure, the design has shifted over the years and there are lots of permutations and variations. But if you dreamed of joining Starfleet, there was one particular shape that featured prominently in your dreams.
Tori was looking at it right now.
As the turbolift sped up the umbilical connection to the Aurora, he felt a sense of deja vu for something that never had happened. This was the moment he had always imagined for his first mission, the thing that had felt missing before his actual first mission on a cramped freighter.
That mission had made him better, more experienced. And now he could have a proper Starfleet debut. No screw-ups this time.
Ysatch: We're gonna crush it.
The otherwise empty turbolift: ::stunned silence::
((Sensor Dome, Deck 4, USS Aurora-A))
After dropping his bag off in his on-ship quarters, Tori embarked on a deck-by-deck sweep of the Aurora. His portfolio as an ops officer with an engineering minor meant he could wind up working on just about any part of the ship, so it seemed like a good idea to familiarize himself with the lay of the land.
He had just planned to poke his head into the sensor dome so he would know where it was, but was surprised to see an officer spread out on the floor. Whether she had sensed his mind or just heard the doors whooshing open, Lyra Voss immediately jumped up onto her feet to greet Tori.
Voss: ::with a little wave:: Tori, hey! I was just, uh, calibrating some sensors. Pretty incredible sensor suite, right?
Tori gave a curious look at Lyra then down at the floor of the dome where she had just been lying. In between strips of sensitive sensor equipment was an unobstructed view of the cosmos surrounding them. If Tori had gotten here and found the dome unoccupied, he probably would've found himself in the exact same position.
Ysatch: ::knowing chuckle:: Right, I could look at those sensors all day.
He extended a hand to help give her a boost up back onto the deck.
Voss: Where have you visited so far? I’m thinking of checking out stellar cartography next, if you want to come with?
Ysatch: I've been going deck-by-deck on the grand tour. I haven't hit Ess Cee yet, let's do it!
((En route to Deck 3))
The differences between the hallways of a Starfleet ship and installation were slight, but also glaring for someone like Tori who had lived on Federation Starbases for most of his life. The aesthetics were slightly different, the result of different design sensibilities in different decades. Public spaces were narrower and less likely to open up into atriums and plazas given the small amount of space available. And he had already heard many of his fellow officers comment on the "new ship smell."
Voss: So. How did you enjoy the party last night?
Ysatch: So much fun. I can't believe I know an admiral now!
It was only a few months back that then-Commodore Taybrim was greeting him and A'Mayri at the station's academy campus and gave them a tour of the station's control center. Sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday.
Voss: Ha, well… yeah, I –
Before Lyra could finish her sentence, the new Caitian envoy rounded the corner in front of them.
Voss: ::excited:: Luxa! You must be on your way to stellar cartography too?
There's a word in Bajoran "raltot" that specifically describes the feeling of dread that comes over a person when a pah-wraith touches your pagh It shows up often in myths and poetry and always seemed a bit melodramatic to Tori. But the look that Luxa shot him made him feel raltot for the first time.
As quickly as it manifested, it was gone and Luxa was all smiles.
oO What was THAT about? Oo
Lorana: You caught me! :: raised paws mockingly and laughs :: I've been assigned the Aurora-A as part of my diplomatic catchment, they've even built diplomatic offices in one of the lower decks - I'm pretty sure it's going to be some kind of converted utility closet. We're crewmates of a sort :: looks to Tori with thinly veiled contempt :: Good morning, Ensign. I hope you had an adequate evening. I assume you've also been assigned to the Aurora?
Luxa may as well have said she was a freighter called the Kobayashi Maru and had struck a gravitic mine in the Klingon neutral zone because this was rapidly devolving into Ysatch Tori's worst case scenario.
There was someone who didn't like him.
oO Smile Oo
Doing his best to communicate geniality and not betray the confusion and alarm he felt, Tori smiled.
Ysatch: I had a lovely time. And yes, I'll be on the Aurora. It's my first starship posting and I'm very excited.
Voss: ::trying to push past whatever that burst of emotion was:: Well great! We can all walk together?
The general vibe seemed to be that Luxa would rather do literally anything else than spend a prolonged stretch of time in Tori's presence. His immediate instinct was to give her what she wanted and get the hell out of there. But he felt a need to try and figure out what must have gone wrong here. Clearly the fault was Tori's. He must have said or done something to cause Luxa to take offense. He needed to find out what it was so he could attempt to right the wrong. And he couldn't do that if he wasn't there.
Lorana: Of course, now prepare yourself Lyra. You've been spoiled with that department on the StarBase. This isn't going to be what you are used to, the Ronin also had a one deck Stellar Cartography. It's cosy, they do have their charms, these smaller vessels.
Ysatch: I'm surprised they were able to cram it in at all!
Radio silence. This was really bad.
Lyra immediately inserted herself in between Tori and Luxa as they began resuming their way down the hall. Not that you needed to be a Betazoid to detect the contempt being aimed at Tori, but he still could only imagine what she must be sensing.
Voss: So I was looking at the name “Aurora.” I knew the Terran word from the aurora borealis, but apparently Aurora was an ancient goddess of the dawn in an early Terran culture. They really let the humans name everything, huh? Does Cait or Bajor have a dawn goddess?
Lorana: Caitians don't have gods or goddesses. A few mythologies, but they are more children's stories. Back at the Academy I did a holo about a sleeping princess called Aurora. It was a lot of fun.
The question struck at the heart of Tori's own spiritual troubles and for a moment eclipsed his concerns over Luxa's antagonism.
Ysatch: The question of whether or not the prophets are gods is under constant debate. But there is a story that the Orb of Prophecy and Change was discovered during a period where the planet was shrouded in darkness. The prophets sent a vision that the sun would rise on Bajor again. So that Orb is often depicted in religious artwork as a symbol of the dawn.
Voss: ?
The Stellar Cartography entrance loomed up ahead, and as they arrived, Tori received another withering glance from Luxa. He would have to look up information on Caitian faux pas when he got back to his quarters, maybe he had unknowingly done some sort of hand gesture that is considered rude in their culture.
Lorana: After you, Lyra. It's your space. You're looking especially nice this morning, don't you think, Ensign? New ship flush or something else?
What in the world was going on? Was he being goaded into saying something rude about Lyra's appearance? Come to think of it, she did seem particularly cheerful this morning. But this still felt like a trap. Best to play it safe.
Ysatch: Yeah, uh, you look great Lyra!
Voss: ?
But as the doors opened, Luxa's hostility seemed to melt away as she found something she was more excited about than she was disappointed with being around Tori. It was clear that despite her profession as a diplomat, stellar cartography was a passion for her. He made note of that, the information could be useful in whatever future make-good he was going to have to do to repair this relationship.
Lorana: Lyra don't leave us waiting, power her up!
Ysatch: We were just in the Drakos Cluster, why don't we load that up, see how it looks on the fancy Starfleet displays.
Voss: ?
Ensign Ysatch Tori
Com/Ops Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240303TY1
If you asked a random denizen of the Alpha Quadrant to draw a Starfleet vessel from memory, odds are most would settle on a very similar profile. A curved saucer section. A neck leading down to the main hull fronted by a deflector dish. Two nacelles jutting off the back. Sure, the design has shifted over the years and there are lots of permutations and variations. But if you dreamed of joining Starfleet, there was one particular shape that featured prominently in your dreams.
Tori was looking at it right now.
As the turbolift sped up the umbilical connection to the Aurora, he felt a sense of deja vu for something that never had happened. This was the moment he had always imagined for his first mission, the thing that had felt missing before his actual first mission on a cramped freighter.
That mission had made him better, more experienced. And now he could have a proper Starfleet debut. No screw-ups this time.
Ysatch: We're gonna crush it.
The otherwise empty turbolift: ::stunned silence::
((Sensor Dome, Deck 4, USS Aurora-A))
After dropping his bag off in his on-ship quarters, Tori embarked on a deck-by-deck sweep of the Aurora. His portfolio as an ops officer with an engineering minor meant he could wind up working on just about any part of the ship, so it seemed like a good idea to familiarize himself with the lay of the land.
He had just planned to poke his head into the sensor dome so he would know where it was, but was surprised to see an officer spread out on the floor. Whether she had sensed his mind or just heard the doors whooshing open, Lyra Voss immediately jumped up onto her feet to greet Tori.
Voss: ::with a little wave:: Tori, hey! I was just, uh, calibrating some sensors. Pretty incredible sensor suite, right?
Tori gave a curious look at Lyra then down at the floor of the dome where she had just been lying. In between strips of sensitive sensor equipment was an unobstructed view of the cosmos surrounding them. If Tori had gotten here and found the dome unoccupied, he probably would've found himself in the exact same position.
Ysatch: ::knowing chuckle:: Right, I could look at those sensors all day.
He extended a hand to help give her a boost up back onto the deck.
Voss: Where have you visited so far? I’m thinking of checking out stellar cartography next, if you want to come with?
Ysatch: I've been going deck-by-deck on the grand tour. I haven't hit Ess Cee yet, let's do it!
((En route to Deck 3))
The differences between the hallways of a Starfleet ship and installation were slight, but also glaring for someone like Tori who had lived on Federation Starbases for most of his life. The aesthetics were slightly different, the result of different design sensibilities in different decades. Public spaces were narrower and less likely to open up into atriums and plazas given the small amount of space available. And he had already heard many of his fellow officers comment on the "new ship smell."
Voss: So. How did you enjoy the party last night?
Ysatch: So much fun. I can't believe I know an admiral now!
It was only a few months back that then-Commodore Taybrim was greeting him and A'Mayri at the station's academy campus and gave them a tour of the station's control center. Sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday.
Voss: Ha, well… yeah, I –
Before Lyra could finish her sentence, the new Caitian envoy rounded the corner in front of them.
Voss: ::excited:: Luxa! You must be on your way to stellar cartography too?
There's a word in Bajoran "raltot" that specifically describes the feeling of dread that comes over a person when a pah-wraith touches your pagh It shows up often in myths and poetry and always seemed a bit melodramatic to Tori. But the look that Luxa shot him made him feel raltot for the first time.
As quickly as it manifested, it was gone and Luxa was all smiles.
oO What was THAT about? Oo
Lorana: You caught me! :: raised paws mockingly and laughs :: I've been assigned the Aurora-A as part of my diplomatic catchment, they've even built diplomatic offices in one of the lower decks - I'm pretty sure it's going to be some kind of converted utility closet. We're crewmates of a sort :: looks to Tori with thinly veiled contempt :: Good morning, Ensign. I hope you had an adequate evening. I assume you've also been assigned to the Aurora?
Luxa may as well have said she was a freighter called the Kobayashi Maru and had struck a gravitic mine in the Klingon neutral zone because this was rapidly devolving into Ysatch Tori's worst case scenario.
There was someone who didn't like him.
oO Smile Oo
Doing his best to communicate geniality and not betray the confusion and alarm he felt, Tori smiled.
Ysatch: I had a lovely time. And yes, I'll be on the Aurora. It's my first starship posting and I'm very excited.
Voss: ::trying to push past whatever that burst of emotion was:: Well great! We can all walk together?
The general vibe seemed to be that Luxa would rather do literally anything else than spend a prolonged stretch of time in Tori's presence. His immediate instinct was to give her what she wanted and get the hell out of there. But he felt a need to try and figure out what must have gone wrong here. Clearly the fault was Tori's. He must have said or done something to cause Luxa to take offense. He needed to find out what it was so he could attempt to right the wrong. And he couldn't do that if he wasn't there.
Lorana: Of course, now prepare yourself Lyra. You've been spoiled with that department on the StarBase. This isn't going to be what you are used to, the Ronin also had a one deck Stellar Cartography. It's cosy, they do have their charms, these smaller vessels.
Ysatch: I'm surprised they were able to cram it in at all!
Radio silence. This was really bad.
Lyra immediately inserted herself in between Tori and Luxa as they began resuming their way down the hall. Not that you needed to be a Betazoid to detect the contempt being aimed at Tori, but he still could only imagine what she must be sensing.
Voss: So I was looking at the name “Aurora.” I knew the Terran word from the aurora borealis, but apparently Aurora was an ancient goddess of the dawn in an early Terran culture. They really let the humans name everything, huh? Does Cait or Bajor have a dawn goddess?
Lorana: Caitians don't have gods or goddesses. A few mythologies, but they are more children's stories. Back at the Academy I did a holo about a sleeping princess called Aurora. It was a lot of fun.
The question struck at the heart of Tori's own spiritual troubles and for a moment eclipsed his concerns over Luxa's antagonism.
Ysatch: The question of whether or not the prophets are gods is under constant debate. But there is a story that the Orb of Prophecy and Change was discovered during a period where the planet was shrouded in darkness. The prophets sent a vision that the sun would rise on Bajor again. So that Orb is often depicted in religious artwork as a symbol of the dawn.
Voss: ?
The Stellar Cartography entrance loomed up ahead, and as they arrived, Tori received another withering glance from Luxa. He would have to look up information on Caitian faux pas when he got back to his quarters, maybe he had unknowingly done some sort of hand gesture that is considered rude in their culture.
Lorana: After you, Lyra. It's your space. You're looking especially nice this morning, don't you think, Ensign? New ship flush or something else?
What in the world was going on? Was he being goaded into saying something rude about Lyra's appearance? Come to think of it, she did seem particularly cheerful this morning. But this still felt like a trap. Best to play it safe.
Ysatch: Yeah, uh, you look great Lyra!
Voss: ?
But as the doors opened, Luxa's hostility seemed to melt away as she found something she was more excited about than she was disappointed with being around Tori. It was clear that despite her profession as a diplomat, stellar cartography was a passion for her. He made note of that, the information could be useful in whatever future make-good he was going to have to do to repair this relationship.
Lorana: Lyra don't leave us waiting, power her up!
Ysatch: We were just in the Drakos Cluster, why don't we load that up, see how it looks on the fancy Starfleet displays.
Voss: ?
((OOC: Didn't add any tags because I didn't want to get too deep in not knowing what Stellar Cartography looks like. Will jump right on the next sim with more.))
--------------Ensign Ysatch Tori
Com/Ops Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240303TY1
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