Ensign T’Fearne — Ronin Worthy
Teayl Thorn
((OOC: I have included the conversations I thought would be in T’Fearne’s hearing to keep the sim length reasonable. Please see Niac's original sim The Brightest Light In the Deepest Dark and other crew’s sims for their full contributions))
((Promenade, Upper Level, Deep Space Nine))
Ensign T'Fearne stood on the fringe of the crowd, her stance at ease but still attentive, a quiet watchfulness in her obsidian eyes. The crisp lines of her uniform were perfect, her Ensign pip snugly in place on her collar, and her jet-black shoes reflected the polished floor of the Promenade. She looked the part—a Starfleet officer in a galaxy full of them, but this moment felt larger than any uniform. It felt like a milestone in a journey, embedding itself deep in the earth.
oO How did I get here? Oo
Her gaze swept over the crowded Promenade. It was hard to reconcile this with the girl she had once been—a child of the occupation of Betazed, living by the rule of uncertainty and a world at war. Joining Starfleet, wide-eyed and eager to prove herself, she was now part of something far larger than herself—an officer in the finest fleet the Federation had to offer, a proud member of the Ronin’s crew.
The station buzzed with a quiet intensity. The murmurs of conversation, the soft shuffle of footsteps, and the gentle hum of station machinery in the background all seemed to fade into the periphery as the ensign's attention was captured by the Captain as he approached the railing of a footbridge bearing the ship’s emblem, with its coffee beans proudly displayed. As the Promenade quieted, he seemed to pause for a moment, and then his eyes, full of fire and warmth, swept over the crew. He spoke then, from the heart, his words full of honesty, without filter, unpolished and real.
Niac: I have struggled profoundly with this moment...with what I would say to you all when we were together once again. The right words, those that would convey my pride in you, my respect for you...my admiration for all that you have accomplished together...simply would not materialize. What clever turn of phrase could properly honor the sacrifices you've made, for one another and for the Federation as a whole? I eventually came to realize that part of my problem was, in fact, caused by all of you.
She waited, curious to see their transgression, smiling a little as she picked up that it was in jest.
Niac: You have been so exceptional...so spectacular in the performance of your duties...that you've made my task today simply impossible. But as all of you know by this point, impossible is simply part of the job description in Starfleet so I find myself here, looking at each of you, and I have only this to say. You are, without a doubt, the finest group of people I have ever had the good fortune to serve with. My career has taken me across the quadrant for decades, across starships and space stations and starbases, and in that time I've met many incredible people but I have never once found a crew who is your equal. Your ceaseless dedication, your unswerving sense of honor and your unfaltering commitment to defending anyone who cannot defend themselves is a beacon in the darkness, regular and steady as an ancient pulsar and far more beautiful to behold. You have constantly exceeded even my most lofty expectations for you and you have done it without losing sight of one another, or of why we've pledged ourselves to a life among the stars. You are an example of the very best of the Federation and it is the honor of my life to serve as your Commanding Officer. Thankfully that honor comes with a few perks...not the least of which is the ability to formally recognize you for the astonishing way in which you conduct yourselves.
She was not a very tactile person until it mattered, but the emotions were strong and only beginning to grow swelling through the crew, and she felt free and part of a place where she belonged. Reaching out she clasped a crewman's shoulder warmly in a moment of shared celebration.
Niac: Firstly, each and every one of you have won laurels that are rarely issued, but which you can now wear with singular pride. ::He withdrew a padd from his uniform tunic and tapped at the controls:: Vice Admiral Corcino, having reviewed the reports surrounding the engagement which has come to be known as the Siege of Deep Space Thirty Three, has made special provision with Starfleet Command to issue the following crew wide citations. Each officer and crew person serving on the USS Ronin, USS Khitomer, USS Excalibur and Deep Space Thirty Three will be awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, recognizing your collaboration and coordinated defense of the station in the most difficult of circumstances. You shall also be awarded the Tholian Campaign Ribbon and, for your discovery of a Changeling agent of the larger conspiracy against the Federation, the Changeling Campaign Ribbon. In addition, all officers and crew have been issued the Purple Heart in recognition of the innumerable injuries that were suffered in the line of duty during your pitched conflict. Lastly, Starfleet Command agrees with the assessment of Captain Niac and Captain Shayne that the conflict in the Alpha Isles which has dominated the last year deserves a form of special recognition. As such each of you will become the inaugural recipients of the Defense of the Isles ribbon, which is currently being fast tracked and will be available for your service jackets in the very near future. Congratulations.
A cheer rose from the crowd, echoing through the Promenade. Not usually a loud person, T’Fearne felt swept up in the emotions of the crew around her and lent her clear battle cry to the voice of The Ronin.
T'Fearne: Ronin Strong!
Any: Response
The Captain allowed the applause to subside before continuing, his voice cutting through the noise and indicating Raga.
Niac: You're welcome to bulrush the poor Commander to pick up your ribbons but if you're willing to wait just a little bit longer we'll make sure they end up in your quarters. Along with one or two others that we just happened to have laying around. Firstly, I'd like to hand out a special recognition...Lt. Lorana, Lt. Tucker, Ensign T'Fearne, please join the Commander.
T’Feanre almost didn’t recognise her own name at the end of the Captain’s list, after a brief hesitation until someone gave her a friendly shove towards the ship's crest, she swiftly twisted through the sea of shipmates to stand with the Lieutenants.
Tucker: Response
Niac: It's no secret that the Ronin was badly damaged during the conflict...but what is less widely known is that these three officers have spent innumerable hours since working with station operations and the yardmasters reconstructing our vessel to build a new and highly detailed deck layout for each of you to refer to in the ships internal database. For your efforts I am awarding all three of you the Captain's Commendation and I know I speak for the whole crew when I say thank you for your commitment to helping us find our way around our mended vessel. Congratulations.
The Commander handed each of them a rosewood box, his smile full of pride.
Raga: I’m proud of each of you. Well earned.
Lorana: Thank you Commander.
T'Fearne: Thank you, Commander. It was an honour to help with the wayfinding:: accepting the case, and returning the handshake::
Tucker: Response
As the applause faded and released from the limelight, she began twisting her way back into the gold, teal and red tri-coloured sea, the Captain’s voice called out once more.
Niac: Just a moment, Lt. Lorana. Lt. Cmdr. Alieth, Ensign Syrex, would you please step forward and join the Lieutenant?
As he called for Alyndra, T’Fearne felt a wave of joy and pride for her friend and looked to see her and the diminutive Commander make their way to join the Caitian Lieutenant at the front.
Syrex: Err… Yes, sir.
Lorana: :: to Syrex under her breath :: Enjoy the moment, ensign.
Alieth: Response
Niac: Lt. Cmdr. Alieth...against my better judgment and in the midst of a highly fluid and exceptionally dangerous situation you volunteered to embark on a mission which uncovered not only critical tactical data, but which deprived the Lattice Alliance of a key strategic asset in the form of the Salix symbiote. Your heroism and ingenuity in the face of the gravest of dangers is a testament to the scientific spirit of Starfleet and as such, all three of you are awarded the Scientific Discovery Ribbon along with the Innovation Ribbon. Congratulations...and know that along with my thanks you have Sencha's deep personal gratitude. You helped close a wound that Niac has been carrying for decades.
The Commander handed two boxes to each officer, shaking their hands warmly.
Raga: And everyone says it’s Security that’s the most reckless. ::He smirked:: Congratulations and well earned. And as someone who was in the line of fire of that ‘Gun’ ship, thank you. ::He said earnestly to each of them::
Syrex: Happy to have been of service, sir ::smiles elegantly towards Raga, then to Niac::
Lorana: Science is where the real action is, Commander.
Alieth: Response
The Vulcazoid was lulled into a false sense of security by just having received a Captain’s Commendation ribbon, watched on as her friends and crew received their just awards until she heard her name called again. T'Fearne stepped forward once again, her heart beating in her pointed ears.
Niac: Ensign T'Fearne, could you return to the front and join Commander Raga? Unfortunately Ensign Valo, the third member of your ad hoc defense team on Deep Space Thirty Three cannot join us today but you can be certain that they'll be receiving this recognition on their service jacket. In the last few weeks I've been in regular contact with Captain Stergis, the newly promoted commander of Deep Space Thirty Three, and she has told me in no uncertain terms that without your ferocious and decisive defensive actions the station would've been lost in hours. Having reviewed the internal sensor footage that survived the conflict I believe that to be an understatement of the highest order so, in recognition of your heroism in service to your fellow officers, I am awarding you the Starfleet Medal of Valor. Wear it with pride.
The weight of her own feelings pulsed against her ribs. This was something that deserved to be felt, not suppressed.
Toryn set aside the box with his own accolade and grabbed the one for her.
Raga: We simply did what we had to do, to buy time for the rest of our family to show up. ::He nodded matter-of-factly::
Toryn handed the box with her medal in it to T’Fearne with a proud smile on his face. Still slightly stunned by receiving the award with the deck planning team let alone a medal of valour on top of it, she accepted the second sleek case from Commander Raga carefully stacking it on top of the first and wrapped her hand securely around them.
T'Fearne: And because we did, Thirty-three still stands. Thank you, Sir. Thank you Captain :: Nodding to Niac::
She was not sure if it would break the protocol of the ceremony, but as he had bestowed her award, she reached over and, lifting his from the table, presented it to him. As a member of Seiuri Team that had followed his lead through the battle zones of Thirty-Three, she had grown to trust and respect his judgement. She placed his rosewood box in his hands. It was not standard protocol, but she suspected it would be overlooked by the Ronin.
Making her way back through the sea again to celebrate with the crew, she didn’t neglect to remember the fallen. Those who sacrificed in the final way to buy all their freedom.
Niac: It's very easy to forget that none of what we accomplished would've been possible had our ship failed us at a critical moment, and for that we have one individual to thank above all others...Chief Tucker, front and center.
Raga: Uh oh, you’re in for it now, Chief. ::He grinned impishly::
Tucke: Response
Niac: Since we rushed the ship out of dock last year our journey in the Alpha Isles has been one of almost constant conflict, yet no matter what storm we faced our ship weathered it and always brought us back to safe harbor. Chief Marty Tucker has repeatedly demonstrated a level of skill which is matched only by his ability to improvise incredible solutions to impossible problems. No matter how much we demanded of the ship he always found more for us to leverage and our triumphs have been built on the sturdy foundation he provided. To that end Chief Tucker, I am making you the inaugural recipient of the Spliced Mainbrace Ribbon, which recognizes heroism under fire from those who save the day not with a phaser, but with a plasma torch and the wisdom to know where to use it. Thank you from all of us Chief Tucker, for knowing how to keep the air in and the radiation out.
Raga: Congratulations, Chief. And thank you for keeping our home flying.
Tucker: Response
Niac: Stick around Chief, I'm not quite done with you yet. Lt. Jg. O'Connor, Lt. Jg. Beck, Lt. Lorana, please step forward and join him.
The Captain stepped away from the ship's crest and down the small circular stairway behind him, bringing him down to the lower level and only a short distance from the assembled officers. He nodded towards Commander Raga who produced a set of small wooden boxes that had been set aside specially.
Niac: One of the most sacred duties of any Captain is to steward those officers serving under them towards bigger and better things...not only to recognize their efforts and the performance of their duties, but to demonstrate to everyone that these officers embody the very ideals that make Starfleet the pride of the Federation. These four officers do that with the kind of effortless grace and comprehensive skill that demands I give them newer and greater challenges, which I expect them to tackle with the same poise and professionalism. Mr. O'Connor, step forward.
O'Connor: Response
Niac: Mr. O'Connor, you have been the steady emerald hand at the helm that has piloted our vessel from one side of the Isles to the other since we launched. I have seen you make the ship do things I'm sure no designer would've ever imagined or intended, but you have never failed to find a way to get us where we need to go and back again. For that, and for your constant good humor and kindness to your fellows, I am proud to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant, with all the associated rights and responsibilities. Congratulations Lieutenant O'Connor, you've earned it.
Toryn handed Captain Niac the small box who quickly removed the hollow pip, replacing it with a solid one which gleamed under the promenade lights. He stepped back and offered the man a firm handshake.
Raga: Congratulations. Just don’t go thinking bar brawls lead to extra pips. ::He smirked::
O'Connor: Response
Any: Response
He moved to the next man in line, the mustachio'd medical officer who so often showed up in the oddest reports to come across his desk.
Niac: Doctor Beck, since joining the Ronin you have quickly become a trusted advisor and friend to many of us, and you have sacrificed more than most in the defense of your fellow officers. ::He nodded towards the mans synthetic appendage solemnly:: You have been unswervingly dedicated to the well being of any being that has needed your aid and you have performed your duties brilliantly, even when conditions were severe. For these reasons I am proud to not only promote you to the rank of Lieutenant, but to announce that you have been formally recognized as the Ronin's Chief Medical Officer. Congratulations, Doctor Beck!
He quickly swapped the mans pips and stepped back, offering him a hearty handshake and a genuine smile.
Raga: Thanks for keeping us all patched up, Doc. Just, try not to lose any more appendages okay? ::He smirked::
Beck: Response
Any: Response
Chief Tucker was next.
Niac: Chief, I just spent quite a while singing your praises so you'll have to forgive me if I repeat myself...but your dedication to the ship and crew demands no less. You had to assume the role of Chief Engineer under difficult circumstances but you did so gracefully...and since then you have demonstrated your quality as an engineer and as a leader at every opportunity. The fleet is lucky to have officers like you and I know the Ronin would not be the ship she is were it not for your constant efforts. To that end I am promoting you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, a rank which I believe reflects the incredible level of expertise you bring to your duties. Congratulations, Commander Tucker.
Pips were pinned.
Raga: Congratulations, Commander.
Tucker: Response
There was a great show of inspection when he came to Lorana.
Niac: Lieutenant Lorana...you will find in your career that a starship runs on many things. Some of those are the domain of the good Doctor there...others fall under the Chief's purview...others are more ephemeral...harder to define but no less important to making a ship a home for all those who serve aboard her. Since joining us your excellence in your duties has been recognized repeatedly by the head of your department and by the XO...but it is way in which you conduct yourself with the crew that has singled you out for this recognition. You very quickly became the beating heart of this crew, a source of kindness and support for those who needed it, even those most vulnerable among us like our adopted Tholian, to whom you gave the name Tetra. You are a natural leader...you inspire the people around you to greatness...and in doing so you have constantly demonstrated exemplary conduct that would be laudable in any officer. To that end I am proud to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander...and to offer you my personal thanks. Congratulations, Commander Lorana!
Raga: Congratulations, Commander. I’m proud of you.
Lorana: Thank you. This means more to me than you will ever know.
More pips were pinned to collars.
Niac: I am certain that we will face challenges in the days ahead that will test us in ways we cannot imagine but I know, with absolute certainty, that this crew can weather any storm...can summit any mountain...so long as we do it together. Congratulations to one and all....and enjoy the party. Dismissed!
The Al-Leyan turned to face the crew smiling and gestured towards Quark’s.
Raga: You’ve earned this tenfold at least, so enjoy it.
T'Fearne found herself grounded by his words. His words weren’t just for the officers here—they were for everyone, for all the names that had been lost in the line of duty, for those who had sacrificed so much. But now it was time to celebrate.
Any: Response
The press of the joyous crew flowed towards the food and drink, and she allowed herself to be pulled along towards Quarks bar, but soon she found new friends gathered and acquaintances to be strengthened. The emotional aura of the combined crew flared around her like a pulsar.
[Tags/End for T’Fearne!]
((OOC: Thanks so much for including me in this group and in your stories. I have been having a blast, and after a few weeks of LOA, I’m looking forward to coming back. Congrats, everybody and Ronin Strong!))
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Ensign T'Fearne
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14