Captain Roshanara Rahman: Beginnings and Ends
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r.rahman
Oct 3, 2021, 10:26:13 AM10/3/21
to USS Veritas – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((Captain's Mess, USS Veritas -- Docked at Star Station Esperance))
Kelrod: Captain, Commander,... It's been a nice ceremony for our final time on the Veritas.
Roshanara turned to see her chief of security approach her and Blake.
Rahman: Indeed. I once read that every beginning is difficult, but I think endings can be just as hard.
Blake: Response
Kelrod: I'd like to say that it's been an honor to serve with you both. I've learned a lot and grown thanks to you and not only on a professional level.
Rahman: Thank you, Mr. Kelrod. I sincerely appreciate you telling us that.
She thought of the long personal journey Kelrod himself had traversed, even before he'd come aboard Veritas. And the trust he'd asked of her when they started their tour together in the Shoals.
((FLASHBACK: Five years ago - Deep Space 3, near Cait))
Rahman: How did you find starbase duty?
Kelrod: It wasn’t my first... well, I’ve been in 118 Ops when it was Marcus so it’s not strange to me. Different, of course, but there are some advantages in being in a stationary place. Less strange events and more dealing with terrenal things, what doesn’t mean that it’s an easier task, but I’m sure you already know that.
Rahman: Hmmph, it's certainly a different beast altogether.
Kelrod: You’re right calling it a beast. We had to deal with so different issues with little resources. Being so far from the Federation core has its drawbacks. Captain Thompson was tasked with quite a daring mission to keep the adjacent sectors safe.
Well, it was quite likely that's what Roshanara, Kelrod, and the rest of their crew were going to be tasked with for the coming months as well, perhaps even longer. In this, Kelrod's experience would help give the other senior staff a leg up.
Rahman: So you're likely to be one of the most familiar of the crew when it comes to this area. What do you make of it?
Kelrod: So... we’ll be helping the base to pacify the area?
Rahman: No, we'll be operating much deeper. The Veritas is Starfleet's sole ship in the Shoals, operating from its homeport at Star Station Esperance.
Which ironically itself was not a Federation world but eclipsed the other Federation colonies of the Colonial Coalition in both size, logistical resources, and strategic value to put a small Starfleet annex.
Kelrod: Oh, I thought that because of the questions. :: beat :: Well, I’ll wait for then to know exactly. About the area, it’s been quite an unsettling place, we had an issue with some marauders or pirates attacking mostly cargo ships disrupting traffic of goods, not all, but some here and there, not enough to make people rethink of making trades, but certainly disturbing.
She nodded, the news confirming pretty much what she'd read herself thus far.
Rahman: I have a few colleagues who've been part of Operation Safe Harbor for a while now. Their assessment of the entire effort is... well, let's just say they have their grievances. Do we know where these pirates are operating out of?
Kelrod: No, the most we managed was to improve our response time to the incidents, but we still have to know who’s behind those raids.
Rahman: Hmmm, Commander Jolara will be rejoining us as our intelligence officer. If I know the commander, she'll be combing through all of Starfleet Intelligence's assessments to put the pieces together.
Kelrod: Well, I hope that they eventually get to the bottom of that. On my part, I’m glad that it was you who came for me.
She looked back over at Kelrod, a bit surprised to hear that. She and the man hadn't really known each other that well before she had left the Invicta on a leave of absence before returning to the Menthar Corridor as captain of the Syracuse.
Rahman: Oh?
Kelrod: Let’s say that I’ve had my issues with your substitute.
Ah, so it wasn't so much flattery but a comparison.
Rahman: Is that so?
The man looked back at her.
Kelrod: Well, he kind of forced me into the open, bluntly, so we didn’t started in the best of terms.
Rahman: Ah, yes. I'm sure it had to do with him wanting others to know who they were really working with. Captain Washington is a rather... firm believer in having no secrets in the air among his crew. I speak from personal experience...
She thought of her time together with him when he was XO of the Pioneer. Those who enjoyed gossip quickly found themselves scrubbing plasma conduits... ...or headed off to their next assignment.
Kelrod: Well, until then I managed to work it out quite well. However, I could recognize that because of that I’m somehow free to be myself. But it’s not the fact but the way he did. He even degraded me putting a ‘provisional’ on my rank. Can you believe that?
She tried to give him a reassuring and sympathetic smile. She wasn't going to defend Washington--or agree with Kelrod now that it was the wrong thing to do. But she did hope the man understood that it was most likely not meant as a degradation.
Rahman: I'm sure he didn't mean it to degrade you, commander. But as you learned just as I did when I served under him, Captain Washington is very... particular when it comes to the uniform and the service in general. He served in the Dominion War, you know. Lost a lot of his colleagues. So I think he takes the formalities of rank very seriously.
Kelrod: Yes, I could understand :: Sigh :: But that’s the past, Captain Thompson didn’t keep it so I hope that you don’t put it back.
Rahman: Well, I saw in your file while reviewing the personnel files for Veritas that you've completed your Officer Candidate School training while stationed here. So, I think we can drop the provisional.
She smiled.
Rahman: And I suspect if Captain Washington learned about that, he'd extend his congratulations on that as well.
The issue of rank settled, her new SAR team leader was eager to learn more about their new ship.
Kelrod: What can you tell me about our new assignment? What ship we’ll be, where we’ll be working, and what do you expect from me?
Rahman: Well, I'm sure you've already seen it's the Veritas herself. I served on one of her sister ships, the Tempest.
Ten years ago, in fact, was when she last served on one--and where she'd gotten her scars.
Rahman: I think you'll like it. It's a tough workhorse. Not glamorous like the Invicta. ::She grinned at the man.:: No couches on the bridge.
Kelrod: :: He let out a sigh :: Fortunately.... I must admit that I wasn’t quite comfortable with the... openess of the bridge to staff discussions. I know for experience that there are some times when some things have to remain... private. Besides that, it seems quite a good ship overall, a bit small for my taste.
Rahman: But she'll get the job done. As for my expectations for you, from what I'm hearing about the region, both from you and others, I want a fully staffed Search and Rescue Operations team that can be deployed immediately when necessary.
Kelrod: I’ll need to know who we’ll have on the ship to make the team, but I still have the schemes of the team from the Invicta, so it’ll be a matter of adjusting it to the circumstances. We’ll be ready for what it comes.
Kelrod: The universe seems to have a way to make things happen, so I hope we have the chance to meet again.
Blake: Response
Kelrod: Captain, I've been your Chief of Security for these five years on this ship, ...and I doubt we won't see each other again. So, until next time
He held out his hand, and she took it in hers, returning a firm handshake.
Kelrod: Captain, Commander,... It's been a nice ceremony for our final time on the Veritas.
Roshanara turned to see her chief of security approach her and Blake.
Rahman: Indeed. I once read that every beginning is difficult, but I think endings can be just as hard.
Blake: Response
Kelrod: I'd like to say that it's been an honor to serve with you both. I've learned a lot and grown thanks to you and not only on a professional level.
Rahman: Thank you, Mr. Kelrod. I sincerely appreciate you telling us that.
She thought of the long personal journey Kelrod himself had traversed, even before he'd come aboard Veritas. And the trust he'd asked of her when they started their tour together in the Shoals.
((FLASHBACK: Five years ago - Deep Space 3, near Cait))
Rahman: How did you find starbase duty?
Kelrod: It wasn’t my first... well, I’ve been in 118 Ops when it was Marcus so it’s not strange to me. Different, of course, but there are some advantages in being in a stationary place. Less strange events and more dealing with terrenal things, what doesn’t mean that it’s an easier task, but I’m sure you already know that.
Rahman: Hmmph, it's certainly a different beast altogether.
Kelrod: You’re right calling it a beast. We had to deal with so different issues with little resources. Being so far from the Federation core has its drawbacks. Captain Thompson was tasked with quite a daring mission to keep the adjacent sectors safe.
Well, it was quite likely that's what Roshanara, Kelrod, and the rest of their crew were going to be tasked with for the coming months as well, perhaps even longer. In this, Kelrod's experience would help give the other senior staff a leg up.
Rahman: So you're likely to be one of the most familiar of the crew when it comes to this area. What do you make of it?
Kelrod: So... we’ll be helping the base to pacify the area?
Rahman: No, we'll be operating much deeper. The Veritas is Starfleet's sole ship in the Shoals, operating from its homeport at Star Station Esperance.
Which ironically itself was not a Federation world but eclipsed the other Federation colonies of the Colonial Coalition in both size, logistical resources, and strategic value to put a small Starfleet annex.
Kelrod: Oh, I thought that because of the questions. :: beat :: Well, I’ll wait for then to know exactly. About the area, it’s been quite an unsettling place, we had an issue with some marauders or pirates attacking mostly cargo ships disrupting traffic of goods, not all, but some here and there, not enough to make people rethink of making trades, but certainly disturbing.
She nodded, the news confirming pretty much what she'd read herself thus far.
Rahman: I have a few colleagues who've been part of Operation Safe Harbor for a while now. Their assessment of the entire effort is... well, let's just say they have their grievances. Do we know where these pirates are operating out of?
Kelrod: No, the most we managed was to improve our response time to the incidents, but we still have to know who’s behind those raids.
Rahman: Hmmm, Commander Jolara will be rejoining us as our intelligence officer. If I know the commander, she'll be combing through all of Starfleet Intelligence's assessments to put the pieces together.
Kelrod: Well, I hope that they eventually get to the bottom of that. On my part, I’m glad that it was you who came for me.
She looked back over at Kelrod, a bit surprised to hear that. She and the man hadn't really known each other that well before she had left the Invicta on a leave of absence before returning to the Menthar Corridor as captain of the Syracuse.
Rahman: Oh?
Kelrod: Let’s say that I’ve had my issues with your substitute.
Ah, so it wasn't so much flattery but a comparison.
Rahman: Is that so?
The man looked back at her.
Kelrod: Well, he kind of forced me into the open, bluntly, so we didn’t started in the best of terms.
Rahman: Ah, yes. I'm sure it had to do with him wanting others to know who they were really working with. Captain Washington is a rather... firm believer in having no secrets in the air among his crew. I speak from personal experience...
She thought of her time together with him when he was XO of the Pioneer. Those who enjoyed gossip quickly found themselves scrubbing plasma conduits... ...or headed off to their next assignment.
Kelrod: Well, until then I managed to work it out quite well. However, I could recognize that because of that I’m somehow free to be myself. But it’s not the fact but the way he did. He even degraded me putting a ‘provisional’ on my rank. Can you believe that?
She tried to give him a reassuring and sympathetic smile. She wasn't going to defend Washington--or agree with Kelrod now that it was the wrong thing to do. But she did hope the man understood that it was most likely not meant as a degradation.
Rahman: I'm sure he didn't mean it to degrade you, commander. But as you learned just as I did when I served under him, Captain Washington is very... particular when it comes to the uniform and the service in general. He served in the Dominion War, you know. Lost a lot of his colleagues. So I think he takes the formalities of rank very seriously.
Kelrod: Yes, I could understand :: Sigh :: But that’s the past, Captain Thompson didn’t keep it so I hope that you don’t put it back.
Rahman: Well, I saw in your file while reviewing the personnel files for Veritas that you've completed your Officer Candidate School training while stationed here. So, I think we can drop the provisional.
She smiled.
Rahman: And I suspect if Captain Washington learned about that, he'd extend his congratulations on that as well.
The issue of rank settled, her new SAR team leader was eager to learn more about their new ship.
Kelrod: What can you tell me about our new assignment? What ship we’ll be, where we’ll be working, and what do you expect from me?
Rahman: Well, I'm sure you've already seen it's the Veritas herself. I served on one of her sister ships, the Tempest.
Ten years ago, in fact, was when she last served on one--and where she'd gotten her scars.
Rahman: I think you'll like it. It's a tough workhorse. Not glamorous like the Invicta. ::She grinned at the man.:: No couches on the bridge.
Kelrod: :: He let out a sigh :: Fortunately.... I must admit that I wasn’t quite comfortable with the... openess of the bridge to staff discussions. I know for experience that there are some times when some things have to remain... private. Besides that, it seems quite a good ship overall, a bit small for my taste.
Rahman: But she'll get the job done. As for my expectations for you, from what I'm hearing about the region, both from you and others, I want a fully staffed Search and Rescue Operations team that can be deployed immediately when necessary.
So, that was it, the chance he’d been looking for since he started it on the Invicta. However with a ship of this size, the number of candidates and the size of the team could be a problem, but at least, the captain seemed confident in him making an operative team.
Kelrod: I’ll need to know who we’ll have on the ship to make the team, but I still have the schemes of the team from the Invicta, so it’ll be a matter of adjusting it to the circumstances. We’ll be ready for what it comes.
Rahman: These colonies look like they can use all the help they can get. It's not a big crew, but you should find some good bodies to choose from.
Kelrod: I’ll get the best of them and you’ll get the best of me.
Kelrod: I’ll get the best of them and you’ll get the best of me.
She nodded.
Rahman: Good. I look forward to it.
((END FLASHBACK))
Kelrod then looked over at Blake.
Rahman: Good. I look forward to it.
((END FLASHBACK))
Kelrod then looked over at Blake.
Kelrod: The universe seems to have a way to make things happen, so I hope we have the chance to meet again.
Blake: Response
Kelrod: Captain, I've been your Chief of Security for these five years on this ship, ...and I doubt we won't see each other again. So, until next time
He held out his hand, and she took it in hers, returning a firm handshake.
Rahman: Godspeed, Commander.
She suspected Kelrod was right. As big as the universe was, it seemed fate, gods of every stripe, or maybe even the Great Bird of the Galaxy enjoyed bringing people together again. She looked forward to when that time would be.
END
Captain Roshanara Rahman
Commanding Officer, USS Veritas
I238705TZ0
Captain Roshanara Rahman
Commanding Officer, USS Veritas
I238705TZ0
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