New Orders

Posted on Thu Feb 18th, 2021 @ 5:02pm by Captain Michelle Bartlett & Ensign Andrew Gervais & Commander Rostra Tang & Major Hailey Weston & Lieutenant Commander Shaille Levine

Mission: Arriving
Location: Tabula Rasa, Delta Quadrant

The dark blonde woman sat on the sofa in her room. She had already been on Tabula Rasa a day or two, and managed to see at least a few of the sights but she still wasn't quite... sure of it.

"Michelle Bartlett, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?" she asked herself. She took this transfer at the desperate urging of an old CO of hers, though he would not be in a position of authority over her as he had been a few years ago when he was her Captain. She didn't know too much yet about the new assignment she'd taken as her first command. Just that it was a Sovereign Class. What she'd heard? Wasn't good. An attempt at first contact turned into an ambush. The ship's captain, first officer, senior diplomat and the Operations Officer were killed. When the ship's doctor attempted to treat them, they got him too.

She grinned a little, thinking of how reluctant Captain Ross had been back on the Cape Town to part with her. Even if he agreed it was time for her to go for the big chair. But this? Of course, changes of command were inevitable. The crew of her new command would offer their obedience and support to her as they had the previous Captain. But this was no ordinary change of command. She was tense about this, and anxious. 'First command jitters', Captain Ross had assured her back home. But it was more than that.

The ship would be on detached leave while some reassignments and new officers were picked up. It was strange to her to not have any starbases nearby. Almost like they were way out in the frontier. But... even if it was way out in "the boonies" these boonies were someone's home. And it didn't sound like they were all super friendly. But that was part of the fun of it. Until someone jabs a ceremonial sword right through you when you have your back turned and then shoots the rest of your delegation before anyone can react. There would likely be some investigations into that for some time, but... That was for people slightly above her rank grade to handle. For now? Her new command would be here in under an hour.

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Crew lounge, USS Wellington
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Andrew Gervais was sitting in the lounge with a couple of the other junior officers aboard. To say it hadn't been an insane past couple weeks would have been... an understatement. He knew there'd be some interesting times ahead when he got his pip but... He almost longed for boring.

"So... what do you think she'll be like? Do we know anything about her?" Andrew asked the engineer and the security officer at the table with him.

"Haven't heard a thing." came a somewhat familiar voice. Rostra Tang, the twin forms of her anyway, were near enough to catch earshot of some good juicy gossip, and as one of her hobbies was listening to scatter chatter, this seemed right up her alley. "Sorry, habit. Do you mind if I join you?" she offered, each form holding a tray, so each form motioned to the spare chairs at the table.

"No ranks, promise. Just a friendly chat."

"Sure! Pull up a chair" Gervais replied. "And wow... If YOU haven't heard anything about her.... We must be in for some kind of a surprise." He said for a moment, pausing.

The Dalacari pulled up a chair each, and joined the others. Setting her tray on the table, dominated by meats and other cooked beef. The green little garnish looked so out of place. Each of the pair had a fruity beverage of some sort to accompany. "Well, just because I have two sets of ears doesn't mean everyone has a pair of mouths you know." she teased, one form chewing while the other spoke.

"But, in matters like this, I'm alright with a little surprise. Out there in the dark, I want to know everything. Here, in the comfort of safety, sure surprise me." she admitted.

"I'll do without more surprises." The soft and decidedly tired voice came from behind Gervais as a green-uniformed woman came up behind him and placed a hand on his chair, "Room for one more?" She quirked a slight smile as she lifted her cup of coffee to take a sip and then grabbed another chair at the nod from the security officer there, "Less paperwork to do with fewer surprises. And I've never heard of her before a couple hours ago, pulled her file but... That's just data, it doesn't let us know who she is, how she is, just what and where she's been."

“A total mystery.” Gervais said. "All I can say is it’ll be good to have a bit more stability again. I heard the Starfighter commander has been going full drill sergeant on his department. But I mean... I guess we’re all kinda overwhelmed. I still wish Starfleet would have let us stay and fight.

Hailey raised an eyebrow slowly as she shook her head at him, "Wish we could have stayed and fought? If the Colonel had survived, he would have wanted that as well, no doubt, but he was a dumbass. We've got about half a company of marines on hand and even with security we would have been badly outnumbered. I've been on the sharp end of the spear, Cad-" She had to think to remember his name, "Andrew, it would have been bad and we would have lost without reinforcements. Done a bunch of damage, but we'd have lost. Unless we went with an orbital bombardment, which I don't think you'd have approved?" Her eyes went to Rostra with that question, "I wouldn't have if it were up to me."

Rostra shared the sentiment, though when Gervais mentioned staying and fighting, Rostra actually paused in her meal. "Fay an fi..." she paused, now taking the time to finish chewing and swallowing. "Stay and fight? No no no no that's never the answer." Now, it was very well knows that the Dalacari were against violence. It was also rather well known that they let their drones do all the dirty work.

"As long as there's life there's hope. Hope of negotiation, diplomacy, or just something as simple as drawing a line in the sand. As long as violence is a measure, then there'll..."

"... always be a race, an escalation. You'll be looking over your shoulder forever, while the other guy is always looking over theirs. Sorry, I just, I'm not a very big fan of..."

"... the whole Walk Softly and Have the Biggest Stick mentality. Just means someone's going to find an even bigger stick. It's always an escalation." she shook her heads, but she didn't sound condescending. "And I know, it's a matter..."

"... of perspective mindsets. I'm a Dalacari, I hate violence. I have ever since the day I found out it hurt so much." she offered a pair of smiles. "My people distance ourselves from it..."

"... as much as possible." she paused, mostly to chomp on a piece of meat. Such fierce. Much growl. Heavens to Murgatroyd. "But, that's a cultural outlook. I can't blame you for wanting to finish them off, as much..."

"... and you can't blame me for wanting to live and let live. That's what we're all about and Dia's Knees that was a tangent, oh my I am so sorry. Look at me hogging..."

"... all the conversation."

Andrew pondered what Rostra had said. He didn't think it was hogging the conversation at all. She was right. "That's all true. And... Yeah. I guess we'd have just needed more coffins. But the Captain deserved better than how things ended for him. So did the other 4. Who goes after a landing party like that in cold blood?."

"We don't do coffins, but I get the parallel." Rostra piped up. "As for who deserves what, no one really deserves death. At least, not how it comes for them." each part of her took a drink of her fruity scented beverage.

"As for who... someone with no connection to their fellow man. Or Woman, gotta stay progressive." at that, she offered a slight smirk.

“I agree, when at all possible, no bloodshed is better, but,” Hailey’s smile was that of a predator, one who knew she was the top of the very convoluted food chain, “When it’s needed, I prefer that it isn’t our blood being shed. Land on them like a rhinoceros and flatten them. If we had the capability to do it, with few or no losses of our own? I would have happily stomped those assholes... But Wasn’t in the cards.” The statement really was at odds with cadeuceus of an MD on her collar with the brass oak leaf of her rank.

"I guess you're right. And nobody on that away team would have wanted us to try and play a hand we didn't have. But... I suppose we shouldn't get too down before the new boss gets here." he added, turning to Hailey. "You said you pulled her file?"

“I’ve got some strings I can tug on from time to time.” Hailey’s smile turned back into the normal. Once a Raider, always a Raider, “Born on the same island as myself, was a science officer before going into the diplomatic corps after a stint as an exec. Should be the peaceful type, but who really knows.”

Andrew took a sip of his drink. "Great Britain, eh? Heh. Yeah she sounds like she might be okay. Peaceful is good but I mean look how well that worked for the Captain. And Commander T'Pryn."

"I took a peek at her file as well," Shaille said as she turned the drink in her hand on the table. "I don't know, I have a feeling she's going to have a lot more spark than we expect. There's something about her, I can't put my finger on it, but I think there's a lot more than what we're seeing."

"I just hope she isn't a total hardass. I mean not like most science types are. Some of the nicest professors I had were the ones in sciences at the Academy. The strangest were the pilots, but that also is maybe not to be unexpected."

"Bridge to Commander Tang." came a voice from Rostra's commbadge.

"Tang here." each form tapped her own commbadge, but only one spoke.

"Commander, we're approaching Tabula Rasa. We've been informed the Commander is ready when we are. Your orders?"

"I'm on my way. Coordinate with Tabula Rasa and prepare to receive." she stood, each form in sync. "Well, time for me to start being a commander again. Everyone, take care..."

"... and I'll see you all around." and with that, Rostra policed her trays and drinks and then started out towards the bridge.