Flt. Capt. Karrod Niac - Beyond The Reach of Words
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Karrod Niac
Jul 21, 2025, 1:42:44 AM7/21/25
to USS Ronin – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((Monument Park, Prism Lake, Proxima Sigma Four))
As Karrod unnecessarily straightened his dress uniform for the dozenth time he took a moment to look around the area, trying to permanently cement the moment within his mind. On a logical level he knew that Niac, with the symbiotes gift for perfect recall, would forever capture the moment and add the memory to its vast store but this effort was something Karrod felt the need to do for himself. The moment, and all that had lead to it, was one that should hold a special place in his memory...so he'd arrived early, spent time walking around and speaking with some of the grateful people now filling in an audience that stretched to the limits of sight in both directions along the shoreline. Thousands upon thousands had gathered on this beach once again but unlike the last time it wasn't out of a sense of shared grief, or as an act of willful defiance against an untimely end...it was a celebration. Of a future restored, of a people made whole, of a world protected from annihilation...and of the Ronin. Of the crew of strangers who had sacrificed and suffered so greatly for them.
The people of Proxima Sigma Four had demanded an opportunity to offer their thanks and, after no small amount of encouragement from the planets grateful First Secretary, Karrod had acquiesced. He had been promised no long speeches and had politely declined several offers for planetary honors, including one local artist who wanted to render the likeness of his entire senior staff in something like bronze, but First Secretary Larkspur had let him know there would be one surprise from which no polite rejection would dissuade her. When asked about it she had simply smiled and said it was a small token from her husband, a local artist of some renown, and would be in place before the celebration began.
He stopped pacing and looked upwards, staring at the ten meter tall curtain enshrouding the profile of something vast, something which was positioned just behind the lectern which had been setup for them and which proudly bore the ships crest, something which was lit from below. Something that in absolutely no way resembled a small token. He sighed slightly but the smile on his lips didn't waiver as he took a few more steps and found the small table, laid out exactly as he'd asked, filled with row upon row of ribbons which would be distributed to the crew. At the very end of them and set slightly apart sat several small wooden boxes, the precious contents of which he'd personally verified as the crew began to arrive. Now, row upon row of officers and crew, resplendent in their smartly cut dress whites, had formed into ranks which stretched back from the podium. With a nod to Toryn, standing near the table of awards, and to the ships newly appointed second officer Doctor V'Len Kel, who he'd ask to join them at the head of the crowd, Karrod stepped to the lectern as the sun began setting over the lake, shimmering colors reflecting in the air all around them. All around his crew the onlookers hushed, a respectful quiet spreading in every direction like a gentle wave. He could nearly taste their anticipation, could sense their joy at being present for this moment, and he did nothing to push the feeling aside. When everyone had settled he spoke and a clever set of acoustic pickups amplified his words so that all could hear.
Niac: While I know that many of you have spent the last several weeks here on Proxima Sigma enjoying all that this uniquely beautiful world has to offer I believe this evening will grant this crew a rare opportunity...not only to celebrate one another...but to do something Starfleet crews so seldom get the chance to. To stop...for just a few moments...and appreciate exactly what all your efforts have been for. Our duties are so many, our missions so demanding, the costs...the costs are sometimes so difficult to bear...yet today we can take this moment to see what it is we have achieved...so that we might remember why we sacrifice. Why we serve. Why we wear this insignia...::He gestured to the commbadge on his uniform jacket::...and what makes it more than just a bit of metal. It's for them...::He nodded, acknowledging the vast crowd::...for their children. For all the lives on all the worlds we visit, for all the peoples our duties touch. The epigram of our ship is "For Your Tomorow...We Gave Our Today." Thankfully this is one tomorrow we all get to share in...and I could not be more proud of everything you've done to bring us to this point. So with that in mind I'd like to begin this ceremony by handing out awards to the entire crew...as recognition of your collective efforts in saving the Twin Sigma colonies and all those lives aboard the Soliton Express itself...each of you shall receive the Lifesaving Ribbon and, to acknowledge the extraordinarily difficult conditions you overcame during our last mission...a Good Conduct ribbon will also be awarded to each and every member of the crew. Lastly, nearly everyone on the crew will be receiving a Purple Heart due to our comprehensive inability to avoid injury in the line of duty. Congratulations to you all.
The applause from the crew was enthusiastic and polite. In contrast, the roar of cheers from the assembled crowd of citizens was nearly deafening. It took several minutes for it to die back down to levels he could reasonably expect to be heard over and when it did, he could see broad smiles and bright eyes on many faces in the sea of dress uniforms.
Niac: With those awards dispensed and assuming our audience will allow me....::He feigned a glare towards the crowd and got an array of laughter and good natured hoots in return::...I do still have several individual awards to hand out. Firstly...Lt. Cmdr. Kel, Lt. Cmdr. Beck, Chief Tucker, Ensign Nakada, Ensign Nemes, Ensign Evinrude and Ensign T'Fearne...for your efforts to halt the Soliton Express and to protect the passengers aboard...and ultimately prevent a truly unimaginable disaster from befalling this world...you are all awarded the Innovation Ribbon for your creativity and quick thinking. Congratulations.
Any: Response
The applause was thunderous as each stepped forward to collect their awards before returning to their positions out in the crowd. Even the lake behind them seemed to ripple in joyful celebration as bands of reflected light played off the surface, casting intangible wisps of rainbow in the air all around them.
Niac: Our science, engineering and operations teams did some truly astonishing work during our last mission...but some of the most difficult work fell upon our medical team so, Doctors Kel and Beck, Lt. Jg. Syrex...front and center please.
Any: Response
Karrod looked to each of them in turn and offered his own nod of personal appreciation before he continued.
Niac: The work you do to ensure the safety of the civilians we encounter...along with that of the crew...is beyond essential. It is critical, it is vital, and it is made all the more difficult by a Commanding Officer who has an unfortunate tendency to put himself in harms way. To that end it is with enormous appreciation and no small sense of humility that I offer the three of you the rare honor of the Gold Lifesaving Ribbon. As your CO, you have my congratulations. As your patient...you have my profound personal gratitude. Thank you...all three of you.
Any: Response
Karrod smiled sincerely as the crowd continued to roar its approval, the applause and cheers of the crew mixing with the thunderous ovations of the gathered onlookers. When the din had diminished sufficiently he returned to the lectern and held up a hand.
Niac: Lt. Jg. Syrex, just a moment. Lt. O'Connor, would you step forward to join us please?
Any: Response
Karrod smiled as the two found themselves facing the crowd and let them sweat for just a moment before continuing, a cool breeze from the lake drifting by and causing his beard to tingle ever so slightly.
Niac: While most of our crew was able to return to the Ronin without...too much difficulty after our last mission, you two managed to make a rather significant, runabout sized dent in the nearby planetoid of Noh’ath. While I am glad that both of you were able to...eventually...return safely, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge this incident for the sake of posterity. To that end, and in recognition of your determination and temerity in the face of truly challenging conditions, I award you both the Wilderness Deployment Ribbon, the first ever given out on the Ronin. Congratulations you two...but be warned, if you get lost again I've authorized Doctor Beck to implant tracking devices in both of you at his discretion.
Any: Response
The cheers of the crowd were ringing in his ears as he put his hands up for a bit of quiet. The thunder was muted, if only slightly, as he went on.
Niac: Stay put you two. Ensigns Nemes, Evinrude and T'Fearne, please step forward.
He nodded back to Toryn and V'Len who, expecting the moment, made their way to the small wooden boxes set aside at the end of the table.
Niac: I have said it before but today I am reminded of one of the great joys of being a Commanding Officer...to see the people who serve under my command grow and develop into leaders in their own right. To recognize officers who I have seen perform their duties with distinction and bravery time after time. To affirm that all your efforts...all your work...all your sacrifices...are seen, and respected, and appreciated. So with that in mind I'm proud to announce the following promotions. Ensign Nemes, Ensign Evinrude, Ensign T'Fearne...effectively immediately you three have been promoted in rank to Lieutenant, Junior Grade...with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Congratulations!
Any: Response
He waited as the pips were pinned into place and the applause died down fractionally before continuing.
Niac: Lt. Jg. Syrex...in recognition of your continued growth as an officer and due to your incredibly selfless act of serving as a temporary host to Niac while Doctor's Kel and Beck were putting me back together, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant and award you the Captain's Commendation. Congratulations...you have more than earned this honor. Congratulation, Lieutenant Syrex!
Somehow the applause seemed to be getting louder as he stepped forward and offered her a handshake and smile, the impression of her within Niac beaming with pride nearly as brightly as the young woman standing before him.
Niac: Lastly...many of you know Lieutenant O'Connor as the steady hand at the ships helm, or the deft set of fingers flying over the console in a runabout or shuttlecraft. He has been a part of this crew since the Ronin was relaunched and in that time, across all those difficult missions, he has always been a source of humor, of creativity and of insight. He had distinguished himself repeatedly in the brave and selfless performance of his duties and has been injured more than once protecting his fellow officers. It is for all these reasons and for the trust you have earned among the most senior officers aboard that I promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Congratulations, Commander O'Connor!
Any: Response
Even with both hands held up for quiet it was a long, long time before the cheering subsided and the newly promoted officers could make their way back to handshakes and backslaps of any crew in arms reach.
Niac: Normally this is the part where I'd encourage everyone to make liberal use of the ships bar but before that First Secretary Justine Larkspur has asked for just a few moments of your time. Madam First Secretary?
The handsomely dressed woman with the silver hair who had been at the head of the crowd of onlookers gave her husband a small embrace before stepping across the sand and taking the offered speaking position. Karrod watched as she took a long, slow look at the crowd, meeting eyes with as many as she could, acknowledging some with nods and smiles, others with a gentle look or an encouraging wink. Where he'd struggled to calm the increasingly raucous crowd she laid on a gentle touch which silenced them all but immediately. She turned her attention to him, standing next to Toryn and V'Len at the head of the crew, and seemed to pitch her voice to speak only to them. As if thousands weren't hanging on her every syllable.
Larkspur: There is a time...a rare, wonderful time...when words are insufficient to express what is within us all. When words of thanks cannot adequately communicate the joy...the gratitude...the appreciation that the people of this world feel so keenly for what you have done. It is our good fortune then that we have more than words with which to speak...so that forever from this day any who visits this place will know the fullness of what was in our hearts. On behalf of my husband who created this...on behalf of a world which stands united in joy and thanks...and on my behalf, that of a grateful old woman who did not have to watch all their futures end...I formally dedicate this monument to the officers and crew of the USS Ronin...who shall forever be cherished friends of this world.
She turned and with a grand sweep of her arm, the curtain was pulled back, revealing a vast field of stone sculptures that extended dozens of meters towards the rippling water of the lake and Karrod gasped, shocked and moved. From his perspective thousands of small stone figures, wrought with astonishing artistry and delicacy, seemed to be walking from the waters towards a line of larger figures with outstretched arms, some already embracing or being held joyously held aloft. Above the field of figures and floating with the aid of some unseen mechanism, like a guardian spirit from ancient myth hung the centerpiece. Crafted of some local white stone that picked up and reflected the evening light until the very shape seemed to glow from within the Ronin, or a version crafted with some thoughtful artistic license, hovered silently, offering protection and hope to all those below. Karrod wasn't sure he was breathing. There was a delicacy and beauty to the piece that he'd never seen the equal of. Nor had Niac. Nor had, judging by the shocked silence from the assembled crowd...anybody else.
The spell lasted for a long moment before Karrod heard gentle, hesitant applause from the crowd. At first slowly, as if afraid to dispel the magic of the moment, and then in an avalanche of cheers and celebration so intense it felt like a physical force. People roared, wept, cheered, and kept doing as First Secretary Larkspur walked over and offered him, and then each member of the crew in turn, a personal handshake...and in some cases a warm embrace. Citizens began to do the same and, as the crew absorbed this onslaught of tribute late into the night, Karrod found himself smiling until his face hurt.
[Tags/End for Niac!]
((Congratulations everyone! With the awards sim out this is your heads up that shoreleave is drawing to a close! Please start wrapping up your shoreleave sims over the next few days and look for the introduction to our next mission, 'Ghosts of Tarellia' by mid-week! I think you'll love it...but be sure to pack extra hand sanitizer! Enjoy!))
===============================
Fleet Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0
As Karrod unnecessarily straightened his dress uniform for the dozenth time he took a moment to look around the area, trying to permanently cement the moment within his mind. On a logical level he knew that Niac, with the symbiotes gift for perfect recall, would forever capture the moment and add the memory to its vast store but this effort was something Karrod felt the need to do for himself. The moment, and all that had lead to it, was one that should hold a special place in his memory...so he'd arrived early, spent time walking around and speaking with some of the grateful people now filling in an audience that stretched to the limits of sight in both directions along the shoreline. Thousands upon thousands had gathered on this beach once again but unlike the last time it wasn't out of a sense of shared grief, or as an act of willful defiance against an untimely end...it was a celebration. Of a future restored, of a people made whole, of a world protected from annihilation...and of the Ronin. Of the crew of strangers who had sacrificed and suffered so greatly for them.
The people of Proxima Sigma Four had demanded an opportunity to offer their thanks and, after no small amount of encouragement from the planets grateful First Secretary, Karrod had acquiesced. He had been promised no long speeches and had politely declined several offers for planetary honors, including one local artist who wanted to render the likeness of his entire senior staff in something like bronze, but First Secretary Larkspur had let him know there would be one surprise from which no polite rejection would dissuade her. When asked about it she had simply smiled and said it was a small token from her husband, a local artist of some renown, and would be in place before the celebration began.
He stopped pacing and looked upwards, staring at the ten meter tall curtain enshrouding the profile of something vast, something which was positioned just behind the lectern which had been setup for them and which proudly bore the ships crest, something which was lit from below. Something that in absolutely no way resembled a small token. He sighed slightly but the smile on his lips didn't waiver as he took a few more steps and found the small table, laid out exactly as he'd asked, filled with row upon row of ribbons which would be distributed to the crew. At the very end of them and set slightly apart sat several small wooden boxes, the precious contents of which he'd personally verified as the crew began to arrive. Now, row upon row of officers and crew, resplendent in their smartly cut dress whites, had formed into ranks which stretched back from the podium. With a nod to Toryn, standing near the table of awards, and to the ships newly appointed second officer Doctor V'Len Kel, who he'd ask to join them at the head of the crowd, Karrod stepped to the lectern as the sun began setting over the lake, shimmering colors reflecting in the air all around them. All around his crew the onlookers hushed, a respectful quiet spreading in every direction like a gentle wave. He could nearly taste their anticipation, could sense their joy at being present for this moment, and he did nothing to push the feeling aside. When everyone had settled he spoke and a clever set of acoustic pickups amplified his words so that all could hear.
Niac: While I know that many of you have spent the last several weeks here on Proxima Sigma enjoying all that this uniquely beautiful world has to offer I believe this evening will grant this crew a rare opportunity...not only to celebrate one another...but to do something Starfleet crews so seldom get the chance to. To stop...for just a few moments...and appreciate exactly what all your efforts have been for. Our duties are so many, our missions so demanding, the costs...the costs are sometimes so difficult to bear...yet today we can take this moment to see what it is we have achieved...so that we might remember why we sacrifice. Why we serve. Why we wear this insignia...::He gestured to the commbadge on his uniform jacket::...and what makes it more than just a bit of metal. It's for them...::He nodded, acknowledging the vast crowd::...for their children. For all the lives on all the worlds we visit, for all the peoples our duties touch. The epigram of our ship is "For Your Tomorow...We Gave Our Today." Thankfully this is one tomorrow we all get to share in...and I could not be more proud of everything you've done to bring us to this point. So with that in mind I'd like to begin this ceremony by handing out awards to the entire crew...as recognition of your collective efforts in saving the Twin Sigma colonies and all those lives aboard the Soliton Express itself...each of you shall receive the Lifesaving Ribbon and, to acknowledge the extraordinarily difficult conditions you overcame during our last mission...a Good Conduct ribbon will also be awarded to each and every member of the crew. Lastly, nearly everyone on the crew will be receiving a Purple Heart due to our comprehensive inability to avoid injury in the line of duty. Congratulations to you all.
The applause from the crew was enthusiastic and polite. In contrast, the roar of cheers from the assembled crowd of citizens was nearly deafening. It took several minutes for it to die back down to levels he could reasonably expect to be heard over and when it did, he could see broad smiles and bright eyes on many faces in the sea of dress uniforms.
Niac: With those awards dispensed and assuming our audience will allow me....::He feigned a glare towards the crowd and got an array of laughter and good natured hoots in return::...I do still have several individual awards to hand out. Firstly...Lt. Cmdr. Kel, Lt. Cmdr. Beck, Chief Tucker, Ensign Nakada, Ensign Nemes, Ensign Evinrude and Ensign T'Fearne...for your efforts to halt the Soliton Express and to protect the passengers aboard...and ultimately prevent a truly unimaginable disaster from befalling this world...you are all awarded the Innovation Ribbon for your creativity and quick thinking. Congratulations.
Any: Response
The applause was thunderous as each stepped forward to collect their awards before returning to their positions out in the crowd. Even the lake behind them seemed to ripple in joyful celebration as bands of reflected light played off the surface, casting intangible wisps of rainbow in the air all around them.
Niac: Our science, engineering and operations teams did some truly astonishing work during our last mission...but some of the most difficult work fell upon our medical team so, Doctors Kel and Beck, Lt. Jg. Syrex...front and center please.
Any: Response
Karrod looked to each of them in turn and offered his own nod of personal appreciation before he continued.
Niac: The work you do to ensure the safety of the civilians we encounter...along with that of the crew...is beyond essential. It is critical, it is vital, and it is made all the more difficult by a Commanding Officer who has an unfortunate tendency to put himself in harms way. To that end it is with enormous appreciation and no small sense of humility that I offer the three of you the rare honor of the Gold Lifesaving Ribbon. As your CO, you have my congratulations. As your patient...you have my profound personal gratitude. Thank you...all three of you.
Any: Response
Karrod smiled sincerely as the crowd continued to roar its approval, the applause and cheers of the crew mixing with the thunderous ovations of the gathered onlookers. When the din had diminished sufficiently he returned to the lectern and held up a hand.
Niac: Lt. Jg. Syrex, just a moment. Lt. O'Connor, would you step forward to join us please?
Any: Response
Karrod smiled as the two found themselves facing the crowd and let them sweat for just a moment before continuing, a cool breeze from the lake drifting by and causing his beard to tingle ever so slightly.
Niac: While most of our crew was able to return to the Ronin without...too much difficulty after our last mission, you two managed to make a rather significant, runabout sized dent in the nearby planetoid of Noh’ath. While I am glad that both of you were able to...eventually...return safely, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge this incident for the sake of posterity. To that end, and in recognition of your determination and temerity in the face of truly challenging conditions, I award you both the Wilderness Deployment Ribbon, the first ever given out on the Ronin. Congratulations you two...but be warned, if you get lost again I've authorized Doctor Beck to implant tracking devices in both of you at his discretion.
Any: Response
The cheers of the crowd were ringing in his ears as he put his hands up for a bit of quiet. The thunder was muted, if only slightly, as he went on.
Niac: Stay put you two. Ensigns Nemes, Evinrude and T'Fearne, please step forward.
He nodded back to Toryn and V'Len who, expecting the moment, made their way to the small wooden boxes set aside at the end of the table.
Niac: I have said it before but today I am reminded of one of the great joys of being a Commanding Officer...to see the people who serve under my command grow and develop into leaders in their own right. To recognize officers who I have seen perform their duties with distinction and bravery time after time. To affirm that all your efforts...all your work...all your sacrifices...are seen, and respected, and appreciated. So with that in mind I'm proud to announce the following promotions. Ensign Nemes, Ensign Evinrude, Ensign T'Fearne...effectively immediately you three have been promoted in rank to Lieutenant, Junior Grade...with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Congratulations!
Any: Response
He waited as the pips were pinned into place and the applause died down fractionally before continuing.
Niac: Lt. Jg. Syrex...in recognition of your continued growth as an officer and due to your incredibly selfless act of serving as a temporary host to Niac while Doctor's Kel and Beck were putting me back together, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant and award you the Captain's Commendation. Congratulations...you have more than earned this honor. Congratulation, Lieutenant Syrex!
Somehow the applause seemed to be getting louder as he stepped forward and offered her a handshake and smile, the impression of her within Niac beaming with pride nearly as brightly as the young woman standing before him.
Niac: Lastly...many of you know Lieutenant O'Connor as the steady hand at the ships helm, or the deft set of fingers flying over the console in a runabout or shuttlecraft. He has been a part of this crew since the Ronin was relaunched and in that time, across all those difficult missions, he has always been a source of humor, of creativity and of insight. He had distinguished himself repeatedly in the brave and selfless performance of his duties and has been injured more than once protecting his fellow officers. It is for all these reasons and for the trust you have earned among the most senior officers aboard that I promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Congratulations, Commander O'Connor!
Any: Response
Even with both hands held up for quiet it was a long, long time before the cheering subsided and the newly promoted officers could make their way back to handshakes and backslaps of any crew in arms reach.
Niac: Normally this is the part where I'd encourage everyone to make liberal use of the ships bar but before that First Secretary Justine Larkspur has asked for just a few moments of your time. Madam First Secretary?
The handsomely dressed woman with the silver hair who had been at the head of the crowd of onlookers gave her husband a small embrace before stepping across the sand and taking the offered speaking position. Karrod watched as she took a long, slow look at the crowd, meeting eyes with as many as she could, acknowledging some with nods and smiles, others with a gentle look or an encouraging wink. Where he'd struggled to calm the increasingly raucous crowd she laid on a gentle touch which silenced them all but immediately. She turned her attention to him, standing next to Toryn and V'Len at the head of the crew, and seemed to pitch her voice to speak only to them. As if thousands weren't hanging on her every syllable.
Larkspur: There is a time...a rare, wonderful time...when words are insufficient to express what is within us all. When words of thanks cannot adequately communicate the joy...the gratitude...the appreciation that the people of this world feel so keenly for what you have done. It is our good fortune then that we have more than words with which to speak...so that forever from this day any who visits this place will know the fullness of what was in our hearts. On behalf of my husband who created this...on behalf of a world which stands united in joy and thanks...and on my behalf, that of a grateful old woman who did not have to watch all their futures end...I formally dedicate this monument to the officers and crew of the USS Ronin...who shall forever be cherished friends of this world.
She turned and with a grand sweep of her arm, the curtain was pulled back, revealing a vast field of stone sculptures that extended dozens of meters towards the rippling water of the lake and Karrod gasped, shocked and moved. From his perspective thousands of small stone figures, wrought with astonishing artistry and delicacy, seemed to be walking from the waters towards a line of larger figures with outstretched arms, some already embracing or being held joyously held aloft. Above the field of figures and floating with the aid of some unseen mechanism, like a guardian spirit from ancient myth hung the centerpiece. Crafted of some local white stone that picked up and reflected the evening light until the very shape seemed to glow from within the Ronin, or a version crafted with some thoughtful artistic license, hovered silently, offering protection and hope to all those below. Karrod wasn't sure he was breathing. There was a delicacy and beauty to the piece that he'd never seen the equal of. Nor had Niac. Nor had, judging by the shocked silence from the assembled crowd...anybody else.
The spell lasted for a long moment before Karrod heard gentle, hesitant applause from the crowd. At first slowly, as if afraid to dispel the magic of the moment, and then in an avalanche of cheers and celebration so intense it felt like a physical force. People roared, wept, cheered, and kept doing as First Secretary Larkspur walked over and offered him, and then each member of the crew in turn, a personal handshake...and in some cases a warm embrace. Citizens began to do the same and, as the crew absorbed this onslaught of tribute late into the night, Karrod found himself smiling until his face hurt.
[Tags/End for Niac!]
((Congratulations everyone! With the awards sim out this is your heads up that shoreleave is drawing to a close! Please start wrapping up your shoreleave sims over the next few days and look for the introduction to our next mission, 'Ghosts of Tarellia' by mid-week! I think you'll love it...but be sure to pack extra hand sanitizer! Enjoy!))
===============================
Fleet Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0
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