Lieutenant Jack Kessler - They're Here
Joel Cannistraro
Nicolau: Are you ok Lieutenant? Like...in your face? I can get a medical team up here if you're smelling burnt toast.
Raga: I don’t think that’ll be necessary, Lieutenant. After all, I’m sure there’s all manner of probes and diagnostic bits as the Captain might say, in the bridge medkit that Commander Kel can use to make sure the Chief is medically fit. Isn’t that right, V’Len?
Kessler: ::looking back to Raga:: I am quite fine sir. No need to fetch any probes or diagnostic bits.
Just saying it out loud sounded funny but he could totally envision Captain Niac using the terminology to explain said equipment.
Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Raga: Well, if you do start smelling burnt rhombuses let us know so we can make sure it’s not just the captain destroying the galley.
Jack let the statement slide in one ear and out the other as he begain running his tactical scans of the course ahead of them. As suspected there was nothing of consequence this close to the planet but in his mind this was the perfect time to insure the sensors and he were working as well as they should be.
Kessler: Looks like smooth sailing ahead of os Nicolau. Are you ready to kick the tires and light the fires?
Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Raga: Very well. Are each of the departments reporting ready status?
Jack looked once more to his console and allowed his fingertips to dance across the smooth polymer surface of the console. Department check-in was coming through the main board quickly but his interest lay in the Security stations and the Tactical stations. His teams would be spread across the ship as various staging points, Security offices littered the ship in strategic locations so that the Security forces could respond in a heartbeat to any threat. Tactical stations, manned during non-combat time were maintained by a maintenance team and an overwatch duty officer while combat teams would respond from the bull-pit should the ship go to an Alert status. A brief pause took place as his team's stations all registered Green, indicating that they were all set to go.
Kessler: Security and Tactical stations manned and ready commander.
Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Raga rose from the center chair and adjusted the uniform jacket with a brief Picard maneuver while he walked over to the helm to stand beside Nicolau. A hand rested on the back of her chair.
Raga: Good. If you’d be so kind as to take us out of orbit Lieutenant?
Jack glanced over to Raga and Nicolau and gave them a silent nod. There was nothing for him to say here. The mission was starting and the mystery of what they were warping into was about to thicken.
Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Raga: =/\= Bridge to the Captain. We’re breaking orbit and all departments have reported in. Despite miss Nicolau’s suggestion of letting the stragglers enjoy an extended leave without us we are all present and accounted for. And en route to the Goodall. =/\=
As he spoke Lolagi IV drifted out of view of the viewscreen, replaced by the starry blackness of the galaxy. Those same stars blurred into streaks as the Ronin jumped into warp the instant she’d cleared the atmosphere of the planet that had provided respite and much needed relaxation for their crew.
Kessler: ::in a lowered voice:: Audentes Fortuna iuvat
It was something his father said on many occasions, especially missions that had a dangerous gut feeling to it. Redeveuing with an unknown Starfleet vessel after being pulled hastily from shoreleave felt right. The phrase was Latin, from Earth and simply meant, "Fortune favors the bold", it was a timeless proverb suggesting that taking calculated risks and acting with courage, rather than hesitation, leads to success. It implies that proactive, brave individuals create their own luck and reap greater rewards. .
Niac/Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Toryn looked over his shoulder at Kessler.
Raga: Mister Kessler, if you’d be so kind as to inform the Goodall via secured subspace message that we’re departing? And will rendezvous with them….miss Nicolau, how long until we catch up to the Goodall?
Kessler: Aye sir ::tapping in a communication sequence into his console:: Sending encoded coms burst to the Goodall with departure time and intercept window now. ::beat:: Commander, intercept at current speed is two hours and three minutes.
Kel/Nicolau/Any: Response
Niac: =/\= Very good Mr. Raga, I'll join you in just a moment. =/\=
A moment or so later, the doors to the Captains Ready Room parted and Captain Niac made his way from his ready room directly to the command center.
The Captain gave a slight smile and a nod to each officer at their station, obviously pleased to see the bridge fully populated once again as stars streaked by on the viewscreen. TO CO and XO, with practiced ease he swapped positions and Niac immediately tapped on the armrest and opened the shipwide comm channel. The simulated boatswain's whistle rang out grabbing all the crews undivided attention.
Niac: =/\= Attention all hands this is the Captain. I would apologize for our hasty departure from Lolagi IV but it seems like the Admiralty, in their infinite wisdom, have decided we've had more than enough recreation...or perhaps they've simply decided to cut us off after seeing the resorts invoices. Either way the celebratory luau we had planned will have to be rescheduled for a later date. We are on our way to intercept the USS Goodall and take aboard two specialists whom Starfleet Command have dispatched to supplement our crew for the purposes of this mission...I'm certain that once they're aboard and share details about our objectives you'll show them every courtesy and give them whatever support they require. All of that said, we have a few hours before our intercept with the Goodall so I'd like to take this time to confer some awards that we didn't have time to down on the planet. =/\=
Jack glanced back over his shoulder as Niac paused and turned in his chair, looking towards V'Len. The Captain appeared deep in thought for a moment before he spoke up and Jack returned his attention to the sensor readouts while listening to the ships CO.
Niac: =/\= You all served Acting Captain Kel with the kind of skill and poise I've come to rely on...and due to that, you averted a disaster that would've had far reaching ramifications for this galaxy and, very possibly, many more. To that end every member of this crew has been awarded both the Explorers Ribbon for your investigation of the anomaly and the Defense of Temporal Flow ribbon for preventing a disaster before it could begin. =/\=
oO Very nice. Thank you sir. Oo The thought ran through Jack's head silently but he knew he would have a chance to thank the Captain at a more appropriate time.
Niac: =/\= For those of you who interacted with...or were assaulted by...Tholian forces from the Lattice Alliance...namely Lieutenants Shortrith, Evinrude and Ensign Wren, along with Lieutenant Kessler here on the bridge...you have been awarded the Tholian Campaign ribbon. While this is a recognition of your service in the defense of the Federation against an antagonist who is as persistent as they are...shrill, the exceptional performance of your duties was a highlight in the mission reports and debriefings I've reviewed since coming back aboard. To that end...Chief Tucker & Lieutenant Shortrith...you have both been awarded the Leadership Excellence Ribbon for your composure and steady leadership during a crisis. And for your particularly exceptional heroics in defense of others both Lieutenant Kessler and Lt. JG Evinrude have been awarded the Starfleet Medal of Valor. Well done to all of you...and my personal thanks. I know the senior staff shares my opinion that your performed your duties with truly exceptional skill and bravery. Oh and there's two more...small matters. =/\=
Kessler: ::softly, and placing a hand on his chest:: Thank you Captain.
Karrod smiled as he turned in his chair and nodded towards Raga as Jack bowed his head in another thank you gesture and then returned to facing his station.
Niac: =/\= While many of you know by now that Mr. Kel has been promoted to the rank of Commander, I want to take a moment to celebrate this enormous milestone...as he accomplished more in his first time in the big chair than some CO's do in their whole career. I have no doubt that someday soon he will bring the skill, cleverness and composure he demonstrated in Ross-580 to his own command...but until then we continue to reap the benefit of his wisdom and his talent. Once again V'Len...well done. =/\=
Kel/Any: Response
Niac: =/\= Lastly...Mr. Kel is not the one one who has continued to over-perform in their time aboard the Ronin and it gives me enormous pleasure to see another of our talented junior officers taking a step further along in their careers. Since joining us as their very first posting, this officer has continually and repeatedly demonstrated an almost supernatural ability to navigate difficult and dangerous situations while defending the lives of their crewmates and all those we are called to protect. So to that end and with the full support of the senior staff I am proud to announce the promotion of Lt. Jg. T'Fearne Elaazni to the rank of full Lieutenant, with all the rights and responsibilities there of. Congratulations Lieutenant...there's a pip waiting in my Ready Room for you. =/\=
Any: Response
Niac: =/\= I'm reminded in this moment of the wisdom of some of our predecessors, from an era when the exploration of space meant dangerous journeys just to reach a worlds nearest moon. I believe it was a human explorer who said 'I have two Outlooks and neither is working...' and I've always felt that was profoundly wise...when that early pioneer was confronted by the unknown, when his outlook was challenged by the unexpected, he recognized it and adapted. He grew. He rose to the challenge of his era just as you have risen to the challenges of yours. I have never served with a more competent group of officers than those among this crew so I know that, no matter what our forthcoming mission has in store for us, we will rise to the challenge as we always do. Ronin Strong. That is all. =/\=
Glancing back as Niac sagged back in the chair a bit, an expression crossed his face that Jack had not seen before, and Niac continued to look around the bridge with a bit of a shrug.
Niac: What'd you think? Too much?
Kessler: You sound much like my father sir. ::beat:: Well said.
Niac smirked and shook his head.
Niac: Everyone's a critic. Alright...time to get to work. Lieutenant Nicolau...hope you paid attention in your precision warp navigation courses...doing a ship to ship transport at these speeds is going to be...tricky.
He smirked to himself as he could hear the young woman audibly gulp from the helmstation while the rest of the bridge settled in.
((Two hours later, Deep Space))
Niac: Time?
Raga: Response
Jack had all available sensors pointed in every possible direction and rotated scans as fast as the data could come in and be reviewed for threats in their area. So far, to his relief there was nothing out there aside from the Ronin and the Goodall which they should be picking up the any minute.
Niac: Alright, last chance to put your bets in on our mission. Ten slips of GPL per guess, anyone gets it right goes home with the pot. My money is on...hmm....an Admiral lost his prized Teneebian skunk and every ship in the sector has been dispatched to find it.
Kessler: Well, my father once told me that Daystrom had Captain James T. Kirk's body hidden away in their secret vaults. I'm betting they lost it and now we're on a Kirk quest.
He let out a genuine chuckle as the sensors finally chimed and Lt. Nicolau called out from the helm station.
Nicolau: Sensor contact...it's the Goodall and she's hauling as...teroids..uh..sir. Warp nine point five seven....we'll be in transporter range in two minutes.
Jack spun back around in his chair and went back to full sensor scans.
Niac: Problem Lieutenant?
Nicolau: No sir just...need to make a small adjustment to our course so we don't...uh...die...sir. We just received an encrypted data burst from the Goodall...no audio, just text. It's a set of coordinates...we're to proceed there at maximum warp once we get the specialists aboard. No other details.
Jack's head turned slightly towards Nicolau and for the briefest of moments the two locked eyes. He gave the Lieutenant a gentle nod, letting the officer know that their skill put them in the chair and they had this.
Niac: Alright so maybe not the Admiral's skunk. Plot a course for those coordinates and change course after the intercept.
Kessler: ::in a lowered voice:: And the plot thickens.
Nicolau: Thirty seconds to transporter range....twenty...
Niac: Mr. Raga...advise transporter room one to energize when ready.
The Ronin closed the final distance in a flash and Jack's eyes were now glued to the sensors as the two ships came dangerously close, interlocking warp fields. Nicolau was doing a perfect piloting job but even so, the maneuver these two ships were taking was one error away from sheer devastation.
Niac: Status?
Kessler: Transport complete Captain.
Niac nodded and stood from the chair.
Niac: Then lets find out what this is all about. Have security escort them to the main conference room. Gentlemen, with me. Lieutenant Nicolau...good flying...the bridge is yours. Get your relief up here while we go meet our guests.
Jack nodded and keyed in a command to his console, sending security to the transporter room with orders to escort the spooks to the conference room. That was at least what Jack was calling them in his head until he truly knew which division they were from. He still leaned heavily on Starfleet Intelligence as his primary choice.
Nicolau: Sir?!...I mean..uh..yes...yes sir. I have the..uh...bridge...sir.
Kessler: Precision flying Lieutenant. Excellent work.
Tags/TBC