Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

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Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

July 22, 2019, 10:09:57 PM

MEMORIAL CEREMONY

Shipwide Broadcast, All Vectors
March 12, 2381
1200 hrs.

[ Captain Ives | Memorial Terrace | USS Theurgy ]
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For those not attending in the Arboretum, the hundreds of LCARS screens on the three Vectors of the USS Theurgy showed Captain Jien Ives step in front of a wall filled with memorial plates, with names of those who died in the service to the ship and its dire mission. He stood there with his arms folded behind his back and waited for the present crew in the three-deck high area to find quietude. Only then did he speak.

"I am Captain Jien Ives, Commanding Officer of the USS Theurgy, and I am speaking to you from the Memorial Terrace on Deck 21, Vector 03. Thank you all, for attending, and making a priority of these coming minutes - despite the heavy repair duties and the promise of shore-leave. It is important that we make the time, in memory of the fallen, and we commemorate them with the construction of this terrace, where we all can find a chance to grieve."

Jien spoke as he slowly paced the front of the memorial wall, more names being seen behind him. "For me, there are three reasons why these minutes are a priority. The first, is the sheer scale of our sacrifice. When this ship set out, none of the crew had any idea of the length and scale of the trauma that was going to unfold. Ideal service for Starfleet would have meant reasonable duty shifts, rest, to eat and sleep better than we have. Instead, five months have passed, of persecution, fear and strife, until we finally could both save the Federation from what the Infested had in store for us, and find safe haven among allies.

"The suffering, and turnover of new shipmates has been on a scale that outstrips almost any other voyage by a Starfleet ship. Make no mistake, ours has been an extraordinary sacrifice for a single vessel, which on its mission to save its own fleet has been forced to fight it as well, for sake of protecting the truth against our hidden enemy. It is a sacrifice the fallen made for not just us, but the the Federation as a whole, and it is only right that we should remember them.

"Second, I think it is also right to acknowledge the impact that this latest battle held. I cannot stress how profound a difference we've made for both the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. In stopping the Borg, whom the Infested meant to use for their own gain, we have saved billions of lives from certain death or assimilation at the hands of the Borg. For all the profound trauma, the resilience and the courage that was shown by as as well as the fallen, we held true to the values we hold dear: truth, justice and freedom." Jien paused his slow steps, for emphasis. "The lessons learned by our mistakes, all the hardships suffered, and the fate of our fallen. All of it has - in the end - granted us the allies we have today. The Klingon Empire, and the Aldeans, with more to come. From this point onwards, we are no longer a lone ship against all odds. Yet despite this victory..."

Ives resumed to pace slowly across the podium. "...I still think that for us to fail, today, to recognise the huge significance of the fallen would be, frankly, a monumental mistake."

There was a silence, while Jien came to stand where he had begun his speech. "There is a third reason why these minutes of remembrance matters so much. It is more difficult to define, but I think it is perhaps the most important of all. There is something about winning against the Borg - and by extension the Infested - that should make their sacrifice a fundamental part of our consciousness. Put simply, this matters not just in our minds, but in our hearts. The Borg has been this enemy that many feared would be the end of us all. Now, thanks to the fallen and our word, future generations will know what happened at the heart of the Azure Nebula.

"The fact is, individually and as a crew, we will keep coming back to to this battle, and I think that is as it should. This is not just a matter for the mission and us. It is a matter for the Federation and beyond. It is a matter for all factions in both Quadrants. For High Chancellor Martok, whose forces held the line against the Borg Queen for a full hour, to Captain Anya Ziegler and the valiant crew of the Cayuga, to the honoured dead and the survivors of the Endeavour, who not only made us aware of the Borg presence, but led us to the apertures. To those abducted, who not only brought the Versant to bear against the Queen, but also safely sent the misled Savi to safety. We can but hope they will find their way back to their old ways, after having been corrupted by the Infested as well. We will all come back to this victory in our thoughts, and remember. Remembrance... must be the hallmark of our voyage forward.

Ives took a deep breath, looking around at those assembled. "As a twenty-year-old soldier wrote just a week before he died in the First World War in Earth, and I quote ‘But for this war, I and all the others would have passed into oblivion like the countless myriads before us, but we shall live forever in the results of our efforts.’ I therefore say that our duty now is clear. It is to honour those who died, and to ensure that the lessons learnt live with us forever. And I think that is exactly what we can do, henceforth, with this new memorial.

"Because the mission before the victory was a mad, brutal, awful struggle, distinguished more often than not by defeat and mere survival; because the waste of lives was so terrible that some said victory was scarcely discernible from defeat. Some would have said they died in vain. No. In honouring our dead, - as we do today - we declare that this is not true. Their sacrifice was not in vain. For out of the battle and the decisive victory came a lesson which transcend the horror and tragedy. It is a lesson about mere people - ordinary individuals of all natures, officers or not. The lesson was that no one is ordinary.

"At every turn, in every battle, at every setback, there were heroes. Civilians. Officers of all ranks. Klingon soldiers. They all teach us before today to endure hardship, to show courage, to be bold as well as resilient, to believe in ourselves. To stick together. We have gained a legend... as well as a few Klingon songs..." Jien added with a faint smile. "All of it, telling a story of bravery and sacrifice and - with it - granting a deeper faith in ourselves. A deeper understanding of what it means to be a Starfleet officer."

Pausing, Ives folded his hands behind his back again. "Join me now, in a minute of silence, to commemorate those fallen."

During the minute that came after his voice fell silent, the only sound heard on the Theurgy's three Vectors were that of the occasional sorrow, the soft crying of those who lost people dear. Eventually, however, the seconds ran out, even though the grief would last for far longer.

"Thank you, for your time. Dismissed."

OOC: This thread is open for everyone who have their characters available at noon on Day 02, for a single reactionary post or more, if you wish.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #1 – August 11, 2019, 10:50:21 AM

[Lt. JG Adam Kingston | Memorial Terrace, Deck 21 | USS Theurgy's Vector 03 Stallion ]
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Adam stood amongst the others, from all departments as they all watched the male form of Captain Ives as he paced slowly back and forth along the podium. Yes the fallen had to be remembered for their duty to the ship, crew and their mission of exposing the damned Infested. He had lost many during the Battle of the Apertures even had to order them to their deaths but all their deaths were not in vain as they stopped the Borg.

The Master-at-Arms listened as the Captain went on about all the events up to now and how the memories of the fallen will be treasured. Adam would have them watch over and guide him if they could, not being a spiritual man but saw the merit in having those lost to us give emotional strength from beyond the veil. He had worked on coming to terms with sending people to their deaths at the time he did so but it never got easier dealing with the 'what if' scenarios that his mind traitorously played out whenever distracted or wasn't doing task after task.

A minute, they deserved so much more than that but life would go on anyway Adam knew so bowed his head and did his best to recall all the faces of those he worked with and or had ordered to their death. He felt it was important that not only their names be remembered but their faces, their laughs, smiles and whatever advice they gave. He would do his best to think smarter in battle and protect as many as he could. Usually leaders thought that way as their community is what was important not their life for another would rise up to lead.

When they were all dismissed Adam gave a head bow to the names on the wall and thanked them for their service to saving the crew, ship and their mission before mix-n-mingle began with those assembled who didn't have to attend to their duties immediately. Most began chatting about the happy times with the fallen and laughing together. It had been some time since the infection at Niga and he knew some still held some dislike to him for his infecting others without any knowledge of it so he had tried hard to regain trust. A very long process but he had approached many to see if they would include him before he decided to return to the Security center and prepare for whatever was ordered of him.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #2 – August 11, 2019, 09:21:41 PM

Ensign Mektari Dumral | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]
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Meki still wasn't comfortable being social with people, especially large crowds of people but it was something she was actively working on and while she usually would have attended under normal circumstances, this was something else entirely. Despite the circumstances around the merging of these crews, they had been through one hell of a battle together and all had lost people during it and that was why she was here, to pay her respects.

Standing among a sea of red, gold, teal and white Starfleet uniforms, each department represented among the group gathered and stood, watching and listening to Captain Ives' speech. The Captain pacing back and forth along the podium as he introduced himself and spoke about the bravery and sacrifice of those they had lost. Every life lost was a tragedy but at least something could be said for dying for duty, for crew, for a reason you believed in and certainly that was true today. While it wouldn't make up for the losses or the pain, it at least gave the death's meaning. They had stopped the Borg, one of the greatest threats to the galaxy and one that was certainly a worthy foe to die against. Listen to me I sound like a Klingon. she thought to herself with a small shake of her head. Still those people who had sacrificed their lives deserved to be honoured and respected and this certainly looked like it was a fitting honour.

Meki listened to Ives as he spoke about the events they had been through, the battles and hardships and even a quote from an old Earth poem, it was a nice speech, one that Meki doubted she would ever have been able to deliver such a speech, one of the many burdens of being the Captain she supposed, she didn't envy any Captain when they had to make such speeches.

At the end of his speech, Ives asked everyone to join for a minute's silence for the fallen. One minute. It didn't seem long enough to her but as sad as it was, life went on for those who survived. Bowing her head in respect along with everybody else, she thought about those that she had lost aboard the Cayuga during the battle with Borg, both those they had lost before the Theurgy had showed up and after as well as as taking a moment to remember those still alive on the ship, wherever it may be now.

Once they were dismissed, Meki made her way over to the wall, reading the names, recognising those from the Cayuga without having to read the ship name as well as the others. Thinking a Cardassian poem in her head for the fallen, she thanked them for their service and sacrifice for those that remained before stepping away for others to pay their respects.

Glancing around the room as people started to mingle, she made somewhat awkward small talk with those who spoke to her, including some of those from the Cayuga crew that she briefly encountered before starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable as those anti-social habits of hers started scratching beneath her skin, making for a good time to leave, this surely counted as being somewhat social given the large gathering, that was enough of an improvement for her today. Giving a nod to a few of those who acknowledged her as she left, Meki made her way out of the terrace to prepare for her next duty shift.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #3 – August 14, 2019, 02:04:07 PM

[ Maya | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]

Maya listened to her captain’s words with discipline and reverence. Jien Ives spoke words that she needed to hear, words all who were assembled needed to hear, and every word he said was absolutely true. There was something comforting about truth, about reverence, about the sacred. Even more important was taking time to remember all of their allies and shipmates who they lost. In times of war, the importance of ritual was magnified, and there was nothing empty about this ritual. This time of remembering to honor their dead was something that seemed long overdue and to finally take time to honor the fallen seemed like eating after a long fast.

Nurse Vinata Vojona broke the silence after Jien’s speech by muttering a single word: "Lucan." It was unlikely that anyone else heard her. Only Maya’s proximity and her Vulcan hearing had allowed her to inadvertently intrude on the Ovri’s thoughts. That single word caused a ripple upon the placid calm of Maya’s countenance. The little Vulcan narrowed her eyes as her lips became a thin hard line. She had been attempting to grieve in her own way for Lahkesis, for Garen, for Maal, for Hayden, and for young Amikris, but now she had a sixth member of the medical department to add to that list: Doctor Lucan cin Nicander himself. As one of the Infested, he certainly could be counted among the fallen, for quite frankly he was dead to Maya and the assembled throng around her.

Just how long had the former chief medical officer been Infested? Was he completely gone or was his Câroon brain able to resist the effects of alien possession, at least for temporary periods? He had been so innovative in his medical treatments and saved so many lives that seemed unconceivable that he could have been Infested the entire time, yet logic dictated that he must have been Infested before Maya started experiencing gaps in her memory. Had Sonja Acreth Infected him somehow, if so, who had Lucan managed to Infect in the meantime? If not, why not?

For a while, Maya had wondered if she too had been Infected. Even now, she was still coming to grips with what Lucan had done to her and struggled with how to classify a man she had admired who was both victim and perpetrator. How many names on that wall were a result of his actions? Was Garen Nelis one of his victims, and if so, in the end could Lucan truly be blamed? Did Lucan cin Nicander exist as a person anymore or did his name belong on that wall too?

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #4 – August 15, 2019, 01:35:23 PM

Ensign Cir’Cie | Arboretum | Deck 22 | USS Theurgy ]
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Cir'Cie had been working in the Arboretum tending to the plants when people had started making their onto the terrace above her for the memorial service. It had certainly been a rough, busy and rather eventful few days for all involved. Starting with their journey through the nebula, finding another Federation ship in there along with Klingons and the Borg to their journey through the aperture and arriving at Aldea, it had certainly been an interesting few days.

Interesting and tragic considering yet more loss of life they had suffered, both the crew of the Theurgy as well as the other ships crews who had joined them recently, some willingly and other more reluctantly so. Cir'Cie stopped what she was doing when she saw Captain Ives making his way towards the podium on the upper deck and rose to her feet, listening as gave his speech to the crew.

Cir'Cie was not surprised that Ives' words contained the usual platitudes about duty, honour and sacrifice that came with such speeches, not that she could fault them, as they were all true. While everyone on board had played their part and in some way were responsible for them all still being here today, those who sacrificed their lives did so for the same reasons and it was the responsibility of them all now to honour the memory of all of them and to continue to fight for what they believed it, they owed them that much for their sacrifice.

The Vulcan gave a slight nod when Ives spoke about how they would all look back on that battle for it was true, some for those that lost and some for the actions that they had taken during the battle, be they good or bad. Ives however chose to focus on something positive, that they had fought and died in service of the Federation, the very thing that they had all vowed to do when they had enlisted at the Academy and joined Starfleet. At least for the crew of the Theurgy it was only logical to forget such things on occasion given what they had all been through.

A slight shudder passed through her body as she thought back over all the events that they had been through during their mission so far, several of which she had been partially responsible for, albeit unwillingly. Things that still plagued her personally and was blamed for by certain members of the crew. Logically a part of her couldn't blame them for having such feelings, after all she had been one of the first victims of the plants on Niga and had then infected the crew only to become a victim again at the hands of T'Rena, for the second time becoming an enemy of her colleagues some suspicion was only natural, especially for such strongly emotional beings. Yet at the same time, it...frustrated her that those same people did not seem to consider that she too had been a victim, forced to do the things she did, instead accosting her as if she had willingly betrayed them.

Still Cir'Cie had been doing her best to regain the trust of her co-workers. She had taken great risk to her own health to cleanse and check the crew after T'Rena's mind controlling influence had been broken and she had fought beside the crews against both the Devoted and the Borg as well as helping out in Engineering during the early Borg attack, and that had just been the Theurgy's experience yet along what the crews of the other ships had been through. With all those events happening along with the parasite infestation and having so few allies it was easy to forget they were Starfleet officers but this Borg attack had been something that had taken them all back to before they were branded traitors and renegades. For the first time in a long time they were Starfleet officers on a Federation ship fighting against once of their greatest enemies to defend the Federation, if she wasn't a Vulcan she would say that it felt 'good' to be a part of that, it was just as shame that so many had lost their lives in doing so.

By the time she had stopped reflecting Ives had neared the end of his speech, asking for a minute's silence for the fallen. Standing straight with her arms folded behind her back, Cir'Cie paid her respects to the fallen. While it was more than likely that more of them would fall before their tale was over, they had gained some new allies within their own organisation, the Cayuga, although gone now knew of the parasite threat, they had an ally in the Klingons and a brief reprieve from it all at Aldea, a chance to reflect and relax. To recharge before diving back into the deep end of the pool and get back to the grind, after everything they had been through it was something they all needed, herself included.

While the loss of life was tragic, and nothing could be said or done to make their absence any easier, those who remained would continue to fight in their honour and their memory to make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain. While the losses they were commemorating today were certainly negatives, logic would dictate they also saw the positives and there were some to be had this day. They had fought against one of the Federation's greatest foes and won and could look back on this moment as inspiration and they had allies, albeit not many in comparison to the foes they faced but they were no long fighting this battle alone like they had been. For the first time in a long time, there was Cir'Cie could sense something that hadn't really been felt around the ship for a while....hope and even a Vulcan wouldn't argue against the value, importance and logic of hope.

Once the moment of silence was over, she watched as several people left the terrace, either going back to their duties, made their way down to the arboretum, mingled with others gathers or made their way over to the memorial wall to pay their respects. As for her, she would return her duties, turning around and returning to the plants she had been attending to before the ceremony had began since for those plants, much like those of the crew still alive thanks to the sacrifices of those they were commemorating today, life went on.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #5 – September 01, 2019, 02:00:27 AM

Ensign K’Lara Halliwell | Memorial Terrace | USS Theurgy ]
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K'Lara was one of many in the large room, gathered to pay her respects to the fallen. While she was certainly still new to the crew and felt awkward and out of place on the ship that until very recently she had been led to believe was full of traitors the young hybrid would not let that awkwardness stop her from joining them in the ceremony.

Glancing around the room, she observed others as the chatted and grieved for the lost. Some smiling and telling stories about those they knew, focusing on the good things, while others had tears in their eyes for friends they would never see again. For K'Lara she too had lost friends and colleagues, mostly those who had served on Starbase 84 and had died during the battle there as well as a few that she had gotten to know on her brief stay on the Bellerophon after the destruction of the Starbase and subsequently the ship.

This was an entirely new experience for her, having only been out of the Academy for a year. She had been an outside observer of the Dominion War, her only experience coming from watching the news vids and conversations with her father, but she had never been a part of any kind of battle before or been witness to such death and destruction personally. Truth be told, she didn't exactly know how she had managed to get through it without becoming a blubbering mess. Most likely a combination of adrenaline and her Klingon half pulling her through it she imagined, either way she had been lucky enough to dodge death twice and for that she was thankful.

She was brought out of her thoughts when her new Captain took to the stage and started speaking. Listening as he spoke, detailing the events that had transpired and recounting the things they had been through before moving on to discuss those that had fought and died defending the values they all shared and believed in. It was a very touching speech and K'Lara found herself wondering how Captains and Admirals who had to give these kinds of speeches did it. She certainly didn't remember covering the how to give a great eulogy speech course at the academy, not that she hoped she would ever have to give one herself anytime soon....not that she would obviously considering she was just an ensign and no where near Command either.

K'Lara had to admit that the poem was rather beautiful and a nice touch and once Ives had finished speaking, she bowed her head for the moment's silence, thinking about those that had been lost, both those she had known and those she didn't but who wore the uniform and had joined Starfleet for the same reasons she had while also trying not to think about how close she had come to being one of those people being grieved today all things considered.

LT. JG Jovela | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]
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Down in Sickbay, the Captain's memorial speech was being displayed on one of the monitors for those who couldn't make it, which included Jovela who was on duty, looking after those who had been injured during the battle as well as treating the more mundane issues that crew came in with, a laceration here, a cold there.

When Captain Ives had started his speech, most of the medical staff as well as those patients who were awake paid attention to the monitor, listening to his words, remembered the battles, what they had endured and those they had lost. For Jovela she had seen people fall during the battles, either bleeding out before aid to get to them or for the "lucky ones" if you could call it that, had suffered a quick death. However she had also witnessed the loss of those who had clung to life as best they could only to lose their grip on the operation table as well, a loss that every person on the medical team knew well unfortunately.

She would remember them all. Their names, their faces and what they had given up to ensure their crew-mates survival as well as that of the Federation, knowing that for herself and all those that were still here today because of them, they would endure to keep fighting for as long as they could and ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain.

Once Ives had finished speaking and the moment's silence had passed, Jovela took a moment to give a mental thanks to those no longer with them, talking with a few of the staff and patients about the Captain's words and listening to some of the others tell stories about people they had lost, laughing at the funny stories and offering comfort to those who were sad before slowly but surely the day continued and duty called.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #6 – September 01, 2019, 02:21:49 AM

[Lt. JG Alessia Garcia – “Angel” | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]
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Alessia stood on the terrace, gathered among the rest of the crew and those of the pack who had decided to attend. She listened to the Captain give his speech. This wasn't the first time she had been to one of these and heard a Captain give a speech for the fallen and it certainly wouldn't be her last. Hell one day there would probably be officers standing around listening to a Captain give a speech only this time she would be one of the fallen said Captain was talking about more than likely.

Still given everything, at least people were getting a ceremony. She grieved for those in the pack that had fallen, her brother and sister wolves who were no longer with them, would no longer howl across the starry skies beside them and she grieved for her old friend and could-have-been lover Leon Marquez. Still she was not one for crying in public and kept those tears inside. She also thought about Logan and Ezekiel, two of her closest friends who had just barely manage to avoid being two more names on that wall.

It always amazed her how Captain's managed to give these speeches, most of them similar and yet all of them different at the same time and to do so while maintaining their composure, she didn't think she could do that. I wonder if they cover that in Captain school? she wondered before shaking her head to dismiss the thought.

Once the Captain finished she made her own way over to the memorial wall, scanning through the list of names, giving a nod of respect to the names of her fellow Wolves and wondered how many more of the pack would end up on here and flying with them in the great beyond when this whole mess was over. She thought an old Spanish prayer for her fallen brothers and sisters but took comfort in the fact that they were with God now and smiled slightly. "If you happen to meet the Big Guy, put in a good word for us huh?" she whispered softly under her breath.

Continuing to scan the list of names, she swallowed the lump in her throat when she came across Leon's. Her old friend and could have been lover, she was going to miss him despite how his life had ended, shot by one of their own. She still didn't fully know what had happened and honestly she wasn't sure she wanted to know and just remember him as the man she had known for all those years, too bad they'd never find out what could have been. Taking a moment to say goodbye, the Wolf turned on her heel and made her way back over to the rest of the pack to mingle and exchange words with other members of the crew who engaged her in conversation.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #7 – September 04, 2019, 12:37:22 PM

[ William Robert O’Connell | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]

As the crowd starting thinning out Master Chief William Robert “Billy Bob” O’Connell sauntered over the wall and searched for names he knew would be there. There were so many names of so many good people. He was starting to get numb, he had lost so many friends and shipmates both old and new. In a silent fit of masochism, the master chief searched for some names that would cut through the numbness so he could do some wistful remembrance, or even some honest grieving. And sure enough, he found some. The Theurgy had lost some champions of enlisted men who were too good at their jobs to become officers. His eyes got a stinging sensation when he realized that the weekly poker game of the senior noncommissioned officers was going to have a lot of vacancies with so many empty seats.

Chief Warrant Officer Sten Covington, the legend himself was dead and it took the Borg to bring him down. He had always looked up to Sten Covington as a personal hero, and now he was immortalized as one, giving his life to stop the Borg and the conspiracy of rapacious parasites from beyond space and time from assimilating the Alpha Quadrant. It had been Covington who had persuaded O’Connell to take his Chief’s exam nine years ago. He was the reason Billy Bob had put in a transfer request to join the crew of the Theurgy last year. If he was alive, he’d tell Billy Bob to stop feeling sorry for himself and get back to work. He had a job to do. And part of that job was to pass on his wisdom and experience before he joined his friends tending that great big warp core in the sky.

Master Chief Petty Officer Nolak Kalmil was the first noncommissioned officer to serve as acting chief engineering officer for the Theurgy, the first “master chief engineer” one could say. Their careers had run parallel but the two master chiefs couldn’t have been more different. Nolak Kalmil had been quiet. William O’Connell was loud. Nolak had taken the Deltan vow of celibacy. Billy Bob had chased every female he saw before the Theurgy entered the Mahéwa System. When under fire Acting Chief Engineer Kalmil’s orders had been calculated, direct, and almost soothing. When things got hot Acting Chief Engineer O’Connell’s orders could get emotive and downright belligerent. Yet somehow they had managed to become friends, their contrasting personalities complimenting each other. Nolak had died trying to save the lovely Rihen Neyah during the attempted takeover of the ship by the meatheads who called themselves the Devoted.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Calvin Reagar had served in Starfleet security for twenty years, kicking ass and taking names against first the Cardassians during the Cardassian Conflict of two decades back and finally against the Jem’hadr during the Dominion War. It was Reagar who collaborated with O'Connell to create the Subspace Armor Field Tactical Integration (SAFTI) gear, a personal protection system that used subspace harmonics to generate a personal force field around the wearer. He had assisted O'Connell in assembling the first functioning SAFTI units by hand; together they built over twenty units in time for the mission to Starbase 84, the mission that was destined to be his last.

All of the ‘old men’ of the Theurgy had served in Starfleet for at least twenty years, but none had served longer than Chief Petty Officer Ekon Okotie-Eboh, the man they used to call “the lifetime petty officer," because a sequence of bad luck had put enough demerits on his record to keep him a petty officer longer than most folks serving aboard the [Theurgy were alive. He had finally made chief less than one year ago. William O’Connell smiled sadly when he thought of all of the pranks they had played on each other over the years. Sadly the threat that had destroyed the civilization of Ekon’s mother had finally gotten around to destroying Ekon himself, but at least thanks to his long-lived ancestors the half-El-Aurian had managed to enjoy almost nine decades of life before the end came.

“Fair winds an’ followin’seas, gen’lemen,” the master chief drawled quietly as he shuffled from name to name.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #8 – October 06, 2019, 06:12:22 AM

Lt. Jg Devyrie Okhala | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]
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Devyrie wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be here, while she certainly wanted to pay her respects to the fallen, the events of the Versant were still so fresh in her mind, not to mention the fact that since the last time any of her pack had seen her she had looked like her older self and not this pure blood Human version.

You can't hide away from the galaxy forever Devyrie, keep moving forward. she imagined her father telling her, despite the fact growing up hiding from the galaxy was exactly what they had done. Still it was true and so she had put on her uniform and made her way down to the terrace. She wasn't surprised to see the large amount of people who had come down to pay their respects.

She immediately spotted a group of her fellow Wolves all gathered in a particular spot and made her way over to them, putting on a smile and greeting them all. They were a pack, a family and it was good to be back with them all. The talking however quieted down when Captain Ives took to the stage to give his speech.

As she listened to the words, she couldn't help but think about how possible it was for her to have been one of the names put up on the memorial wall but quickly ushered that thought away before it led her down a path she didn't want to go down. Ives gave a great speech, their Captain who she was sure had gone through hir own horrible ordeal not showing any signs of it while giving it, she wondered if she was coming across as the same or not.

Eventually Dev made her way through the gathering of people up to the wall, scanning it for names she recognised and lightly ran her fingers over the names of her brother and sister Wolves who had lost their lives saying a silent goodbye to them all. She was doing pretty well until she spotted a name on there that she wasn't expecting to see. Laurel Okhala how did they know? Not that it mattered it was nice that her Sister's name had been put up there with the other fallen Starfleet Officers to be noted and honoured were they to ever return to the fold, even if they didn't however, they would be remembered by the people on this ship.

"I'm so sorry Lau, I wish I hadn't told you to stay where you were, I wish I could have gotten you out of there." she whispered softly, feeling the tears filling in her eyes. Lowering her head, she took a shaky breath trying to get herself under control and felt a hand grip her shoulder. Turning to look up she saw Vinnie standing there, her friend and RIO giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze before stepping beside her and wrapping his arm around her across her shoulders.

Leaning into him she sniffed "Thanks Vinnie." she whispered softly.

"You don't need to thank me, D. I'm always here for you." he replied, nodding at Laurel's name "I'm sorry about your sister D. Wish I could have met her."

Dev nodded "Thanks Vinnie, me too, you two would have gotten along great." she replied before falling silent. The two both giving thoughts to those they had lost.

"People will understand if you want to bail, we can leave whenever you want." Vinnie said, looking down at her.

Looking back up at him, then at the wall and Lau's name and then over to the pack who were still gathered she shook her head "We should be with family."

Following D's gaze to the rest of the Wolves, Vinnie nodded "Yeah we should." he replied as the two made their way over to the pack and started speaking with, exchanging stories about their fallen brothers and sisters, some funny and some sad but they were a pack. They flew together, lived together, died together in some cases and today, today they grieved together.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #9 – October 09, 2019, 10:43:05 PM

[Ensign Nathaniel Isley | Memorial Terrace Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]
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While Nathaniel was still adjusting to the changes he'd undergone at the hands of the Savi, both physically and emotionally he was not one to miss honouring the fallen and so he had made his way to the memorial terrace to pay his respects. Both while he was on his way and when he got there, he noticed a few people giving him a look, evidently it would take others time to adjust to his new Romulan appearance as it would himself.

Standing as one among the many gathered, the pilot watched as Captain Ives took the stage to give a speech commemorating the lives of the fallen and celebrating those that were still alive. Ives' speech was a good one, then again most of these speeches were good. He'd heard a few of them over the years and they always seemed to be good no matter who gave them. Was there a class that people in Command had to take or were they all just naturally talented and if so what a somewhat awful talent to be good at.

As he listened to the speech it was good to see Ives looking better, at least from all outward appearances anyway. Not that he supposed the Captain would choose to appear any other way when he thought about it. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for some of the others. He knew that not everybody had made it though the recent events. There were some who were taken by the Savi that he was sure were no longer with them and he knew for a fact that some of his fellow Wolves had fallen in their previous battles.

While Nathan had mostly had to deal with the stronger feelings of anger and laughter since his...conversion? alteration? correction?....whatever you wanted to call it, he'd slowly but surely been trying to learn how to control all the emotions and now he had another one to deal with, grief and sadness. He wouldn't cry, he was far too stubborn for that but he could feel it deep in his chest, the deep sadness for absent friends and packmates.

He'd been so lost in thought and focusing on his emotions that he almost failed to realise Ives had come to the rest of his speech and participated in the moment's silence before heading over to the wall, scanning through the names and giving a moment's thought to those he knew and had lost. "See you around guys." he said sadly before giving the wall a quick pat.

Turning on his heel and stepping away from the wall so that he could give others space to get there, he contemplated leaving before seeing the rest of the Wolves gathered. Part of him wondered if he should go over there or not, while he had been reinstated to the team, he still wasn't exactly the most popular Wolf in the pack, at least he certainly didn't feel like it. On the other hand though, he was still a part of the pack and if he didn't join them that probably wouldn't go over well either. Taking a deep breath he shrugged and started making his over toward them, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't but they were a pack and they should all come together at a time like this, including him so that's what he would do.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #10 – November 04, 2019, 03:19:21 AM

Lt JG Zelosa Ejek | Ejek's Office | Counselling Department | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ]
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While Zelosa knew that she wouldn't be attending the memorial ceremony due to her busy schedule, despite the fact that part of her felt like she should attend and wanted to it simply wasn't possible. She also knew that junior lieutenant Rawley was going to be there and had even asked if she was going to go during their session.

While the Lone Wolf were a strong one and would more than likely be fine, Ejek couldn't help but think that maybe just maybe the pilot wouldn't have minded her being there for support? Still she had accepted it and had left, hopefully she would be fine. Perhaps Ejek would check up on her later, just to see how things went.

When Captain Ives' speech had started, she played it over the Comm system in her office as she was between appointments and took a moment to think of the fallen, they were with the Spirits now. She couldn't help but wonder how many other people were going to joining them before their "adventure" for lack of a better word was over and how many grieving people she would have to see and help get through it...assuming of course that she wasn't one of the ones joining the Spirits in the beyond.

Shaking her head with a shudder she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind and just in the nick of time too as no sooner had Ives' speech and the moment of silence had ended did her door chime go off, signalling her next appointment.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #11 – December 17, 2019, 08:26:12 PM

[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Vinata's Quarters | Deck 09 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ][Show/Hide]

“It is certainly more comfortable than a pair of pants…” Vinata Vojona chirped this to himself aloud as he continued to examine his reflection in the full length mirror of his quarters. He was in a freshly pressed uniform, but had for the first time elected to wear a skirt version of his standard dress. It hugged his curves in a pleasing way, accentuating the most feminine qualities of his figure. The Ovri had his own reservations about giving the skirt a try, and had for some time deliberated its use. He was pleased he had finally given it a try. Vinata enjoyed the way the skirt revealed his colourful legs, the feeling of air being free to crawl up his thighs was pleasurable too. He felt quite liberated overall.

Vinata was not usually one to be overly vain when it came to the way he appeared but this entire experience, having been forced into bearing the parts of a full fledged female, had awoken a curiosity within him. While he had asked V9 to hold off on his procedure for a week longer, when the droid had offered the crew reversion to their prior form, he now questioned this decision all together. There was something about his new being that clicked. Although he had admitted to himself that there was still much to learn and explore.

The Ovri’s thoughts were interrupted by a communication alarm sounding from the quarter’s small workstation. “Oh…. I forgot!” There was an alien sounding croak, which expressed his own frustration towards his self-induced tardiness. He was late for the memorial ceremony, which he had all intentions of attending in person. Usually Vinata was more organized with his time.

He walked casually over to the desk and took in the sight of his commanding officer, Captain Ives, as his figured replaced the standard Starfleet emblem on the monitor. It would be too late to make a physical appearance at the ceremony now. Perhaps it is for the best? Vinata assumed a seat at the workstation with an erect posture and gave the Captain his undivided attention.

"I am Captain Jien Ives, Commanding Officer of the USS Theurgy, and I am speaking to you from the Memorial Terrace on Deck 21, Vector 03. Thank you all, for attending, and making a priority of these coming minutes - despite the heavy repair duties and the promise of shore-leave. It is important that we make the time, in memory of the fallen, and we commemorate them with the construction of this terrace, where we all can find a chance to grieve."

Grieve…. Yes… We should grieve those who have been lost to us.. For reasons unacknowledged within himself, Vinata had never properly given thought to the fallen. Perhaps it was because he was so focused on keeping himself together? He had needed to push through one disaster after another. Everyone did.

"For me, there are three reasons why these minutes are a priority. The first, is the sheer scale of our sacrifice. When this ship set out, none of the crew had any idea of the length and scale of the trauma that was going to unfold. Ideal service for Starfleet would have meant reasonable duty shifts, rest, to eat and sleep better than we have. Instead, five months have passed, of persecution, fear and strife, until we finally could both save the Federation from what the Infested had in store for us, and find safe haven among allies.”
"The suffering, and turnover of new shipmates has been on a scale that outstrips almost any other voyage by a Starfleet ship. Make no mistake, ours has been an extraordinary sacrifice for a single vessel, which on its mission to save its own fleet has been forced to fight it as well, for sake of protecting the truth against our hidden enemy. It is a sacrifice the fallen made for not just us, but the the Federation as a whole, and it is only right that we should remember them.”
"Second, I think it is also right to acknowledge the impact that this latest battle held. I cannot stress how profound a difference we've made for both the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. In stopping the Borg, whom the Infested meant to use for their own gain, we have saved billions of lives from certain death or assimilation at the hands of the Borg. For all the profound trauma, the resilience and the courage that was shown by as as well as the fallen, we held true to the values we hold dear: truth, justice and freedom." Jien paused his slow steps, for emphasis. "The lessons learned by our mistakes, all the hardships suffered, and the fate of our fallen. All of it has - in the end - granted us the allies we have today. The Klingon Empire, and the Aldeans, with more to come. From this point onwards, we are no longer a lone ship against all odds. Yet despite this victory..."

Vinata had absorbed the words of his Captain. It stirred a sinking feeling within him, almost like his own stomach had partially collapsed in on itself. Had he truly reflected on the sacrifice of those the Theurgy had lost? More so. Had he honoured the sacrifice of those who had become close to him?

Rihen Neyah..
Maal..
Nolak Kalmil..

Vinata thought of each of them now, as he continued to listen. No.. I have not given them the thought that they deserve… He answered his previous question which was followed by an immense sense of guilt. So much had happened since he had come on board the Theurgy. More loss than one should have in a lifetime, really. It almost seemed as though he was doomed to lose anyone that he became close with. Even Hylota had left him behind now.

"...I still think that for us to fail, today, to recognise the huge significance of the fallen would be, frankly, a monumental mistake."
"There is a third reason why these minutes of remembrance matters so much. It is more difficult to define, but I think it is perhaps the most important of all. There is something about winning against the Borg - and by extension the Infested - that should make their sacrifice a fundamental part of our consciousness. Put simply, this matters not just in our minds, but in our hearts. The Borg has been this enemy that many feared would be the end of us all. Now, thanks to the fallen and our word, future generations will know what happened at the heart of the Azure Nebula.”

The Ovri engaged in reflexivity, he afforded the time within himself now thanks to Ives’ encouragement. The Captain was right. He should have allowed himself to grieve properly for everyone that was lost. To not do so had been an insult to the memory of those Vinata had held dear.

"The fact is, individually and as a crew, we will keep coming back to to this battle, and I think that is as it should. This is not just a matter for the mission and us. It is a matter for the Federation and beyond. It is a matter for all factions in both Quadrants. For High Chancellor Martok, whose forces held the line against the Borg Queen for a full hour, to Captain Anya Ziegler and the valiant crew of the Cayuga, to the honoured dead and the survivors of the Endeavour, who not only made us aware of the Borg presence, but led us to the apertures. To those abducted, who not only brought the Versant to bear against the Queen, but also safely sent the misled Savi to safety. We can but hope they will find their way back to their old ways, after having been corrupted by the Infested as well. We will all come back to this victory in our thoughts, and remember. Remembrance... must be the hallmark of our voyage forward.”

“Yes… Remembrance…” Vinata chirped a reply softly and nodded rather solemnly to himself.

"As a twenty-year-old soldier wrote just a week before he died in the First World War in Earth, and I quote 'But for this war, I and all the others would have passed into oblivion like the countless myriads before us, but we shall live forever in the results of our efforts.' I therefore say that our duty now is clear. It is to honour those who died, and to ensure that the lessons learnt live with us forever. And I think that is exactly what we can do, henceforth, with this new memorial.”
"Because the mission before the victory was a mad, brutal, awful struggle, distinguished more often than not by defeat and mere survival; because the waste of lives was so terrible that some said victory was scarcely discernible from defeat. Some would have said they died in vain. No. In honouring our dead, - as we do today - we declare that this is not true. Their sacrifice was not in vain. For out of the battle and the decisive victory came a lesson which transcend the horror and tragedy. It is a lesson about mere people - ordinary individuals of all natures, officers or not. The lesson was that no one is ordinary.”

Thank you for your friendship Rihen… For helping me through difficult times….

Thank you for seeing past my physical self Maal… For embracing me as I was...

Thank you for hearing me and sharing a moment of intimacy with me Nolak...

"At every turn, in every battle, at every setback, there were heroes. Civilians. Officers of all ranks. Klingon soldiers. They all teach us before today to endure hardship, to show courage, to be bold as well as resilient, to believe in ourselves. To stick together. We have gained a legend... as well as a few Klingon songs..." Jien added with a faint smile. "All of it, telling a story of bravery and sacrifice and - with it - granting a deeper faith in ourselves. A deeper understanding of what it means to be a Starfleet officer."
"Join me now, in a minute of silence, to commemorate those fallen."

Vinata took a deep breath, lowered his head, closed his eyes and cleared his mind as best as he could manage. A single tear released itself from his right tear duct. Instead of feeling ashamed by losing control of his emotional self, Vinata embraced the moment. There was no attempt to catch the tear and it slid slowly down his face.

"Thank you, for your time. Dismissed."

Hylota was so curious as to why I remained behind... I remain here on the Theurgy in honour and in remembrance of each of you. Of those I have lost. I will do my best to continue and serve this crew and its mission. I will remain here. I will always remember each of you. Vinata opened his eyes and looked to his left. The image of all three of the officers appeared before him, in a ghostly manner. Each of them had a look of peace and empathy towards the Ovri.

As quickly as the figures appeared, once Vinata blinked, they were gone.

The feeling of guilt he had just endured was lifted. Vinata felt lighter in a way and had a renewed sense of determination. The Ovri would remain strong for those who had been lost to him. The emotions had been processed. He had let himself grieve.

There was one person however, which Vinata had lost in a way also. Someone that he had tried with all his will to forget. The name escaped his mouth in a saddened croak.

“Lucan.”

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #12 – February 18, 2020, 01:20:47 PM

PWO3 Liliana Walton | Memorial Terrace | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ]
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Liliana was gathered along with most of the Wolves and various other members of this new crew of hers at the memorial terrace, she had made some small talk with a few members of the pack before noticing Captain Ives making his way up onto the platform. She had lost people over the years and had heard various iterations of the speech her new Captain was about to give, yet it was also interesting to see each Captain’s take on it. Some were more emotional with their speeches, some were more philosophical, others made it a light-hearted affair to focus on good times and being new to the ship, Lily was interested to see which type her new Captain was.

As she listened to the speech, Lily looked around the room, it pained her to see so many people grieving, and yet she couldn’t help but feel some pride in the people gathered around both from the crew and the Wolves, despite there being so many people from different ships that had joined, all unified against this threat to everything they held dear and swore to protect, tragedies like this always brought people together as sad as it was and today everybody grieved.

She of course had been around long enough to expect it to be the case but it was always nice to see. Within the pack, she wasn’t surprised that almost everybody was getting along, be they Wolves from the original Theurgy crew or those from other ships, the nature of their jobs and uniqueness of their positions always made for a tight knit group, still as one of the oldest of the White Wolves to join the pack, she at least for now still felt closest to her pack. At least Ravon was leading them and she’d taught him so at least she knew they had a great leader.

Ives speech came to an end and it was a good one as far as Lily was concerned. It had just the right balance of grief and optimism to acknowledge their situation and their losses as well as offering hope for the future and a great memorial to the fallen, just the way it should be. It spoke a lot about the Captain and painted the shifter in a much different light than what the broadcasts had been saying. The same could be said about the crew of the Theurgy as well from what she had seen, the whole situation angered her greatly but hopefully they would get more people to listen eventually but those were thoughts for another time.

Heading over to the memorial wall once the crowd had thinned out a little, she had already seen Garcia and Okahla pay their respects at the wall and now it was her turn. She’d seen and experienced losses before, had read similar looking casualty lists especially during the Dominion War but seeing the names of her fellow White Wolves, all great pilots that she had taught and flown with on that list, taken far too young pained her heart. It had hurt when Garcia had told her about their losses, remembering how it felt in the moment to hear the list and how it felt like Angel’s list of family they had lost seemed like it would never end but seeing all those names on the wall cut just as deep now as when Garcia had told her.

Everybody had lost people in the battle, regardless of their origin ship, yet she felt for those of the original Theurgy crew, they had been fighting this battle longer than any of them, by themselves with no help or reinforcements and yet it was a testament to them all that they were still going and fighting the good fight despite their circumstances. The situation facing them was a tough one and their odds were astronomically small at best and yet despite what the math said and despite the losses currently being grieved Lily had hope and as long as people had hope there was a chance.

With a soft smile, she patted the memorial wall “Rest well brothers and sisters, we’ll fly together again on the other side.” she said softly as she gave one last look over the names of her fallen pack before turning on her heel and re-joining the rest of the gathered Wolves.

Re: Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Memorial Ceremony

Reply #13 – March 31, 2020, 07:22:10 PM

CPO Sithick | Memorial Terrace | USS Theurgy

Sithick stood looking across the sea of heads before him. He watched and listened as his captain spoke. This was always a difficult part of working in space, memorializing those lost. For Sithick it was a time of shame and guilt. The names of the fallen represented those he had failed to protect. They were members of his crew, his brood, and they were dead because of him.

Perhaps it was instinctual, their scent bonded with his territorial nature. The Theurgy and its crew belonged to him in a sense and he was supposed to protect what was his. Then the thought of Lahkesis surfaced and as quickly as the urge to vocalize what equated to a Gorn cry of anguish rosed into his throat, Sithick heard the captain speak the words Klingon Empire.

In an instant, Sithick swallowed what grief he might have had left. He had been a jeghpu'wI of the Empire. He had served aboard Klingon ships and had to deal with Klingon crews. Sithick knew first hand exactly how they could and would treat the crew of the Theurgy. Sithick fought the urge to sharpen the talons of his feet on the deck of Memorial Terrace. In fact, his brain refused to allow the impulse signal to travel down his body as if the temperature in the room had dropped fifty degrees and his body repairing for hibernation.

Captain Ives' voice, however, kept Sithick focused like a compass guiding his thoughts through the remainder of the service. And then, as quickly as it started it was over. He and the crew were dismissed to their duties..... his would be to protect his brood from whatever the Klingons decided to challenge them with.

- FIN