Star Trek: Theurgy

USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

February 21, 2018, 11:15:44 AM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] attn: @Top Hat

It had been a strange day for Laurel, at first it had seemed just another day of running mindless errands for the CONN officers, that had taken a dramatic change after being assigned to take a memo, to the Chief Engineer. Blue, as she liked to be called did not appreciate Laurel's treatment, nor the waste of time and personnel it took to send Laurel with the message rather than send it via the padd. The woman had been . . . intense, and Laurel still wasn't sure how everything had changed so quickly, with a whirlwind of sugar and curse words it seemed to her.

Upon returning to C'Rusar, she had expected to be chewed out for the time it took for her to return or the very colorful chewing out Blue had sent him. Instead he had grunted and told her that her duty roster had been changed and she was scheduled for flight simulator tomorrow at 0700. Laurel was shocked, nervous and ecstatic, as she had not been scheduled for simulator time since she had come aboard the Endeavour, two weeks ago. As she walked back to her quarter's to grab a meal, she had yet to brave the galley, and perhaps brush up on some maneuvers, she failed to notice the crowd of security, tactical and CONN cadets gathered just inside the entrance to the common area for cadets.

"Well if it isn't little miss special treatment," Sneered one of the other CONN cadets, before she and a few of her larger friends closed in to block Laurel's exit either back out into the hall or to her own room. "You know, that was supposed to be my sim time, right?" she raised a perfectly sculpted ginger eyebrow.

"I was unaware." Laurel commented, evenly, "I am not in the habit of actively questioning my orders." She stated attempting to move past the human cadet and her flunkies. "Excuse me, I would like to go to my room now, please."

"Come on Tera, just let the little spy go. Clearly she's slept with C'Rusar . . . or Jandar here says he saw her chatting up Chief Tiran in Engineering." Sneered one of the security cadets as he moved to get in Laurel's space. "Is that it? Huh, little spy?" Asked the Bajoran male now very much in Laurel's personal bubble. When she didn't answer he continued to press in, using his superior height to intimidate her, "What's the matter ridgehead? Thought Romulan's had plenty to tell everyone else."

"I would suggest you move away from me please, Cadet Julbi." Laurel's tone was even, but unease and paranoia were beginning to creep in. How had she allowed herself to be corralled like this. She new better, had been taught better. Her father would be so disappointed, best she not tell him about this one. She took in the number of opponents, those who would actively involve themselves and those that might possible try to use this information against her later. Based on their pack mentality she rather doubted that they would join in if she challenged the alpha instigator. Security Cadet Egon Julbi had been a common problem since she started at the Academy. His animosity toward her had only grown as she seemed to fly past him in the classes they shared together gaining favor with instructors as he struggled in the middle of the pack. At her words Julbi seemed to puff up and move even further into her space, he made his first major error as he reached to push her. Years of training in the art of Kormerek kicked in and before she new registered what she had done, she had grabbed his hand used the pressure to bend his wrist, by his pinky, backwards and use that position to maneuver his arm in such a way as to render it useless, to the point of if he tried to break her hold he might break his own arm or tear something he didn't really want torn, and people were shouting. 'How do I get myself into these situations?'

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #1 – February 25, 2018, 03:47:49 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill 

There seemed to come a point in every day where staring at an LCARS interface made his eyes feel like sandpaper. It didn't matter how he tweaked the display parameters to be gentler on his vision, or how regularly he took breaks to watch the starfield pass by the window in his office... Ducote would get to a certain stage and just have to put the rest of the paperwork down for the day. With a final slurp, he finished his tar-like espresso and pushed away from his desk.

He scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms for a second before pushing a hand through his hair to scratch an itch at the back of his head. A few hours yet until shift change; he'd planned a small surprise dinner for Blue. She hated, in her own words, 'fancy shit', but he still liked to surprise her - though it did help that he knew she did enjoy the fuss on some level. If nothing else, it was an excuse to make sure she was getting more nutrition than what was provided by the sugar-laden treats on which she seemed determined to subsist.

A walk would do him well, he decided. A meander the long way around the circumferential corridor before swinging by the sensor lab to check up on the quantum filament detector project. There had already been a couple of process-related disagreements between the lead civilian researcher and the Endeavour's own Science staff, but by and large things were fairly smooth.

Except...

What was that? He frowned, rounding a corner. The XO stepped out of the way of a lieutenant he nearly flattened as he came round the junction, staring into the middle distance through a bulkhead. Try as he might, the emotional noise of the ship was drowning out whatever-

No, there it was, again.

His stride lengthened as he moved into the next section, head cocked slightly to one side as if he was trying to listen to some near-inaudible sound or other. As he zeroed in on the relevant compartment, he could hear shouting from a little further down the corridor. A few passing officers' heads turned as he swept past, heading right for the doors to the crew lounge given over to the cadets on their practical cruise.

The doors hissed open, and the volume increased by an order of magnitude. A knot of cadets had formed around one of the others, crowding and jostling to try and get at someone in the middle. Ducote didn't bother raising his voice over the hubbub; instead, he put his forefinger and thumb into his mouth and made a piercing impression of a boatswain's whistle.

The noise stopped instantly, giving him a moment to haul a couple of cadets out of the way and make his way to the middle of the huddle. Ranaan had to wince a little as the echo of the Bajoran's pain registered in him, but blanked it out with a small effort. It felt as if the young man's shoulder was about to dislocate. He fixed the vulcanoid woman with a level gaze.

"Twenty words or fewer; explain," he rumbled, the gravel in his voice roughening the rounded vowels in his accent. "And release the cadet."

It wasn't a literal limit, of course, but it had helped instil a certain concision in people in similar situations before. While she responded, he was scanning through the collected minds around them (grateful that they were all species with which he was familiar), noting with a growing discontent the resentment and pack mentality among most of the people present. And the paranoia and wariness in the woman, whose name he was racking his brain to remember. Not Vulcan, then.

A heavy hand landed on the shoulder of the human cadet next to him to get his attention, without looking around. "Bring me a PADD," Ducote said as his hand dropped back to his side.

Okhala. Half-Romulan, which explained the lack of containment around her emotions. And the grimacing Bajoran cadet would be... Julbi.

Santa Maria, and I thought today was going to be boring.

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #2 – February 25, 2018, 08:01:58 PM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour attn: @Top Hat

At the piercing sound of someone whistling, Laurel came back to herself, her instincts reigned in enough that she could follow her own arms down to where she had Cadet Julbi in a handlock on the verge of dislocating his shoulder. Then she look up and took in the stern visage of Commander Ducote. Her mind went slightly numb, long enough to follow the second order, her body automatically moved to help ease the other cadet's arm out of the hold, so as not to do more harm by just releasing him, and possibly jarring the shoulder further.

Having accomplished that, the sick swell of emotion rose up like a tidal wave within her as she attempted to regain control of herself. She forced her self in an attention stance, clenching her shaking hands into white knuckled fists to keep them still. This was it, it would be all over now. She had hurt another Cadet. He had not threatened her physically and yet she had retaliated physically. Shame rose to the top as the emotion to take precedence. She was better trained than that. Shame sickly and sweet overroad her fear and anger and adrenaline. Looking up at the commander she drew in a shaky breathe, "There is no excuse for my behavior, sir."

Just then Julbi seemed to have recovered himself as, cradling his arm, he launched himself into an explanation of how she had just come after him like a crazy person. Had surprised him and used her Romulan trickery to get the upper hand. Hurt surged through her at the unfairness of it all. At the constant jibes, the grunt work, the lack of trust, the snide remarks from superiors and peers alike about her heritage. It was so incredibly unfair, and yet she knew that what ever punishment awaited her - and given the way things had gone since she left Alpha Centauri, she couldn't help but fear expulsion, despite the commander's rumored fairness - that she would deserve it. Kormerek was not for annoying cadets. It was for protecting herself against equally strong and brutal opponents. If Julbi had been Klingon or Vulcan or Romulan she might have been able to justify the use. He was not and so she could not. So as the other Cadet rattled out his story with the support of some of the other Cadets, Laurel waited, like a woman about to be sent to the gallows of old.

Despite the shame and fear however, a brief moment of levity struck as she remembered the abrasive engineer from earlier, 'Why because you were born with half a set of genes that you had no fucking decision in getting.  Who the fuck cares.  Fuck all of them.  Nosey fuckers...' Well she did fuck one of them up pretty good, she thought wryly, as she glanced over at Julbi still waxing on and on about how awful she was. How she was always sneaking around and causing general disrest among the other Cadets.

"Sir, if I may. I was not sneaking anywhere, I was returning from my shift. I simply wanted to return to my room, when the other Cadets waylaid me. Words were exchanged, I believe feelings may have been hurt. Then Cadet Julbi came into my space. In an effort to gain a response I suspect. When I did not engage he attempted to push me to further stimulate response. I am ashamed to say that he got one, sir. That's when you intervened." She drew her eyes from looking just over his shoulder to looking the commander directly in the eye, "Thank you for stopping me, sir."

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #3 – February 26, 2018, 10:37:11 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill 

"There is no excuse for my behaviour, sir."

Ducote sighed. He hadn't asked for excuses, but for an explanation. He took a breath to ask again, before Julbi siezed the initiative and launched into a verbose assassination of Okhala's character. The XO was having a hard time containing his growing exasperation; neither of these cadets seemed particularly good at following instructions. The one he'd sent to get him a PADD at least obliged him quickly enough.

"Thank you, Cadet," he said quietly, as Julbi proselytised on.

The native Brazilian signed into the ship's network remotely, and began to page through the personnel rosters. He was looking for the files on their cadet cadre for this expedition, to find their jackets from the Academy and the task lists and reports from their time aboard the Endeavour. Julbi was still going on, either unaware or uncaring that his exaggerations and hyperbole and twisted truths were plain-as-day to the half-Betazoid in front of him, and Ranaan's gaze flicked between him and Okhala as he retrieved the files he wanted. It was interesting to see the resignation on her face, even as some of the more outrageous details elicited the odd, tiny, tic. Internally, she was getting quite loud.

Finally, someone interrupted the Bajoran before he turned blue. Ducote was usually one to allow someone to fetch all the rope they wanted in order to hang themselves, but even he had limits. What did surprise him a little, though, was that it was the young woman in front of him that spoke up after her earlier reticence to defend herself. He met her eye as she gave her account, inwardly grateful that at least one of the people here wasn't trying to lie to him.

"... Thank you for stopping me, sir."

A second passed as he studied her face for another moment, then his gaze dropped back to the PADD without comment. Aside from his murmured thanks a couple of minutes ago, he still hadn't said anything. Julbi, in what Ranaan suspected was a rare display of wisdom, declined to resume his rant.

The silence stretched, punctuated only by the odd bleep and trilling scroll from the PADD. A cadet towards the back coughed. Another shifted, as if about to sidle for the door, until a sharp glance from Ducote stopped her before the thought could crystallise in her mind.

At last, Ranaan looked up, clasping his hands behind his back, the PADD hanging from between a thumb and forefinger knuckle. "Okhala, Julbi; front and centre. Everyone else; two ranks before the aft bulkhead." His voice was quiet, but pitched to project clearly across the huddle. An instant's hesitation as the order percolated through, then there was a scuffle of boots on the deck as the collected individuals moved around. Most of them made their two lines off to his right, while the belligerents stood in front of him. A muscle in Ducote's jaw twitched as he felt Julbi's pain on releasing his arm to gently hang at his side.

"Jealousy is not a becoming quality in a person, Mr Julbi, let alone in a Starfleet officer. Ms Okhala is an example you should be trying to emulate, not one to diminish. No one on this ship has led a struggle-free existence. No one in your class has, either. Stopping to kick someone down the ladder means you have still stopped." He looked between them, inspecting each face by turns. "Provoking a fight earns a reprimand," he said to the Bajoran. "Injuring a colleague earns a reprimand," he said to the Romulan hybrid. His gaze swept over the assembly against the bulkhead. "Participating in the collective bullying of a colleague earns a reprimand."

Ducote shook his head at no one in particular, before speaking again. I'm never agreeing to host a cadet cruise again. "As of this moment, in addition to your training duties and academic requirements, you are all officially on ship's Bitch Duty until further notice. You will be reorganised into a four-shift pattern, at least one of which will be spent performing whatever maintenance tasks I require. I have it on good authority that our impulse engine exhausts are starting to collect plasma residue thanks to this nebula, so you will all report to the EVA lockers at oh-five-hundred for team assignment and scrubber issue." The PADD came up again so he could make a note to have the engines deactivated and safety-locked at 0200 to give the manifolds time to cool. 

He left a moment for the usually-inevitable groan from someone. One eyebrow twitched upward with some small impressment when none came (even if there were a couple of unhappy individuals). His deadpan stare returned to the two cadets in front of him, black eyes regarding them dispassionately. "And you two will be working very closely with one another; you will share all duty rotations, study periods, and Bitch details. You'd better learn to get along, or you can walk home."

Forcing two people in this situation together had one of two outcomes, in a very binary fashion, with no real middle ground. It was a real sink or swim - if they'd been further apart, standings-wise, he would have chosen something else. But Julbi, mostly-average as he was, wasn't a bad cadet except in temperament. He wouldn't drag Okhala down with him, and she might help lift him up a little. Or, they'll kill each other inside a week. Fifty-fifty.

"Questions, queries, quandaries?"

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #4 – March 01, 2018, 07:39:10 AM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour Attn: @Top Hat

Laurel could not believe her luck. Bitch Work, that was all? She had been doing that since day one aboard the Endeavour. She did lament a moment that reporting for cleaning duty at 0500, likely meant that she would not be allowed time on the flight sim the next day. Even if she and the others managed to get what they needed to done before 0700, she had a feeling that the Commander would likely have more for them to do. Still she was sure she was going to be held back from finishing her cruise or worse be kicked out entirely. Laurel would take another couple of months of bitch work in exchange for continued chances to succeed.

She revelled slightly, as she imagined Julbi having to scrape who knows what off of the bottom of the shuttle craft seats, as she had had to do the other day. He was always so neat, for a security cadet he never seemed to get dirty or have a single hair out of place. Well until she put it there. She felt another stab of shame as she took in his slightly hunched attention stance as he tried to relieve the strain on his shoulder. She still couldn't believe she had allowed her instincts to control her so absolutely. In a way she was proud that she had mastered the techniques so well that she could preform them without realizing it. At the same time, such behavior was completely uncalled for and the Commander was absolutely correct that she was at fault here.

And taking in the looks on the other cadets faces, her paranoia spiked and the minor edges of panic crept in. In finally fighting back, even those who hadn't been directly bullying her before would likely blame her for the predicament they all were now in. Perhaps, if she asked nicely Blue would help her with upgrading a lock to her quarters? But hadn't she said she was friends with the commander? Maybe not a good idea then. She would need to switch back to a more irregular sleeping schedule, like the ones she had used when her father would randomly spring survival camping trips on her when she was a teenager. Romulans did not need as much sleep as many of the other races. She would be ok if she split her sleeping in to waking at the end of a REM cycle to double check safety then sleep for another 90 minute cycle before rising, that should give her enough rest to continue normal function. She would need to test it to make sure, the last thing she wanted was to fall asleep on duty or worse while cleaning something potential hazardous and getting herself or someone else hurt.

The cadet felt nerves creep in as it registered that the commander was forcing her and Julbi to work together. What ever the tension between them was before, she was certain it would be much worse now. Her instincts told her to fight the officer on this decision. But as she had done many times when she disagreed with authority, she merely clenched her teeth tightly, feeling the muscle in her jaw jump in protest at the strain. She would not be adding insubordination to her list of reprimands today.

"No sir."

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #5 – March 03, 2018, 08:56:47 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill

Okhala declined his offer. Julbi wasn't far behind her either, and there was silence from the ranks by the wall. It seemed he hadn't been misunderstood, then, and there was no especial protest at his issued punishment. We'll see how much there is after a week of it.

"Very well. Dismissed," he barked at the room at large. "Julbi, go to sickbay and have that shoulder repaired; it's giving me a headache. Okhala, stay back a moment."

As the others shuffled out, with more than one throwing glances he could feel without having to see - until he turned around with a raised eyebrow, anyway - and his headache retreated in proportion to the distance Julbi put between them, the XO regarded the hybrid before him. A few seconds later, and they were alone but for the background hum of the engines and the faint sound of the environmental circuit.

"Cadet, you were not displeased with the penalty I imposed." It wasn't really a question. He brought the PADD around to refresh a couple of details. "Your scores are in the top tenth percentile, you haven't missed a single assignment deadline, and you're somehow managing to keep up with your practical assessments despite a lack of what I would call 'adequate' time in the simulator chair.

"Having had your situation thrown into relief by... recent events, I can only apologise for not seeing it sooner. I confess to a dereliction of attention when it came to you cadets; I trusted your assigned division chiefs to take care of you. And here I see a note from someone at the literal opposite end of the ship to where you should have been, informing your chief that your training was suffering." C'Rusar isn't going to know what hit him.

Ducote looked away for a moment, considering something. "I know that I have painted something of a target on your back for the more stubborn of your... peers, which is why I wanted to say this to you in private. I will be taking a closer interest in your career from hereon, Ms Okhala, and will ensure you are not sidelined again on the mere basis of parentage. You should report any continuation of past behaviours to me - I'll review the situation then. All reports held in confidence, of course."

The PADD disappeared behind his back again, and the weathered Brazilian finally let a little ease into his stance. "You may speak freely, if you wish, Cadet."

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #6 – March 04, 2018, 03:54:50 AM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @Top Hat

Being told to stay behind, Laurel felt her pulse jump a bit, here it comes, she should have known it wouldn't just be bitch work. But the commander surprised her again, bringing up the bullying and pandering that had been going on since she started her practical cruise. For the first time since she entered the common area some minutes before, she felt her muscles relax a bit.

"Sir, I . . . " she paused to consider her words, "For all the Starfleet claims to be too enlightened for bigotry and prejudice, we both know that isn't completely true. This treatment isn't anything I'm not used to. It just means that I have to prove myself . . . and I will. When you are given time waisting crummy assignments you do them. You do them and you go above and beyond what is expected so they can't complain and eventually they have to really see you. Look at what you've accomplished and admit that they don't have any reason to hold you back. And then you get to watch them squirm when they realize their mistake . . . Sir." she tacks on awkwardly at the end. "Chief C'Rusar will come around, I've never been worried about that. It always takes time for my teachers to . . . acclimate to my particular brand of strange." She shifts her stance a little as a wave of nervousness comes over her.

"I was surprised at the other cadets however, I've never had anyone try to bully me physically before. He shocked me. I should have controlled that shock better however. Komerek is not meant to be used on anyone but Romulans," She glanced down from her forward gaze, "and maybe a Klingon or two." She let just a hint of mirth break through at the end. It would be a curious thing to see how she would stack up against a Klingon, not in real combat perhaps, she didn't have a death wish.

"As for the other cadets, well . . . hopefully some good can come out of that display. Maybe they will think twice before attempting anything physical anyway. Words are only words, and no one has been particularly original in their insults thus far. I am confident in my control as far as such things are concerned, sir."

"Um . . . " she grew apprehensive, "Sir, if I may ask, why is everyone so interested all of the sudden? As I said, the treatment is nothing new. I am almost positive I am close to a breakthrough with Chief C'Rusar without assistance. A part of me is almost convinced he's doing it to prove he's not showing favoritism because of the rumors of me being a teahcer's pet at the academy." She shifted her weight again needing to diffuse the nervous energy she could feel building up from standing at attention for so long. She had never been particularly good at being still, much to her father's chagrin. It was a skill he had never quite been able to drill into her.

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #7 – March 14, 2018, 02:10:48 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | Crew Quarters | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill

The cadet was still on edge, which he could hardly blame her for, but she was also starting to come off her fight-or-flight rush, which he appreciated. Hopefully he wouldn't have to get heavy-handed with doling out punitive details; he had never wanted to be the tyrant brass that was brought out of their pit to fulfil their role as mere disciplinarian, but an officer subordinates could trust to support them when they needed it. Thought if he did have to turn dictatorial, he certainly had his father's ample example to follow.

Ducote nodded along through Laurel's reply, showing that he was listening. As far as he was concerned, she was hitting all the major points regarding conduct that he would have wanted to make sure they were on the same page for - evidently, her scores reflected her ability and countenance just fine.

"I am so interested, Cadet, because even though it is not unheard of as you say, it is unusual, and I do not intend to stand for any flavour of it in any ship's company over which I have a shred of authority." His first response rumbled deep in his chest as his intent leaked into his tone. He paused. "The other cadets are young enough that their behaviour could charitably be written off as immaturity - a galactic constant among humanoids, alas - and I expect them to adjust their behaviour in the shortest term possible, unless they're okay with not graduating and repeating their training. The officers..."

Ranaan sighed, looking off to one side for a moment.

"I appreciate that you want to deal with the chief yourself. I find it quite commendable, in fact... but that task should not fall to you and I would be remiss in my duty if I failed to remind him how to perform his. While you're here, your training is his direct responsibility, and that brings a certain number of conditions with it." Mostly, 'do your damn job'. 

Resetting his stance somewhat, he looked back at Laurel. "If there's nothing else; dismissed, Cadet."

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #8 – March 22, 2018, 09:50:19 AM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | Crew Quarter/ EVA Lockers | 0430 hrs | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @Top Hat

Laurel made sure to get up extra early the next morning, no sense in enticing any of the others to target her for getting them in trouble. She quickly completed an abbreviated form of her morning routine, briefly acknowledging that skipping her morning meditation might not be the smartest thing she had ever done, but figuring that eating was worth the emotional risk. After, she hurried through a few light stretches before she donned her uniform and pulled her hair back into a braid that would be easily tucked into an EVA helmet. Having completed that task she rushed to finish her last swigg of tea, burning the roof of her mouth in the process, before walking purposely, out the door and toward her assignment.

When Laurel arrived at the lockers, she was relieved to have seemingly beaten most of the other cadets there. Relieved to have a close to a half an our before their call time, she found herself a space off to the side, and observed the goings on around her, there wasn't much, some people passed in the hallway, and she saw one or two engineers briefly stop in the room for one tool or another. For the most part the room remained quiet until the other cadets began to show up.

Surprisingly, Cadet Julbi was the next to show up, only 10 minutes after her own arrival, perhaps he was as worried about incurring wrath as she had was. He seemed whole and hail again after their impromptu sparing session the day before. His posture tall and shoulders squared and back with no sign of pain. Unsurprisingly, he did not deign to acknowledge she was there instead moving to examine the lockers and look steadfastly anywhere but where she stood. Despite the clear social cue to leave him be, now that a known potential threat was in the room with her, Laurel could not bring herself to look away from him save for continued sweeps of the exit, incase he chose to engage.

'I hope whoever is running this shows up soon.'

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #9 – March 31, 2018, 11:44:51 PM

[ Cmdr Ranaan Ducote | EVA Lockers | 0445hrs | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill 

This morning would be a small departure from his usual morning shift routine (being the ship's XO held a couple of privileges he shamelessly exploited), but it wasn't as if he'd never done it before. As it was, he'd managed to slip out of bed without disturbing Blue and had grabbed the strongest coffee he could on the way to the aft airlock nearest the impulse exhausts. The smell of it was probably still clinging to his uniform.

The Ops chief met him at the corridor junction outside the doors to the antechamber. The habitually bright-faced Bolian, Thelm, was characteristically chipper even at the end of his own shift. "Cadets running you ragged, Commander?" he grinned.

"I wouldn't go that far, Thelm. They did remind me about parts of my job I'd been neglecting, though; give 'em that."

"Well, the tools and equipment are all in there for them."

"Thank you. Let's not keep them waiting."

Ducote led the COps into the EVA prep area, seeing a couple of the cadets already here. Unsurprisingly, Okhala and Julbi were the first. Laurel was watching the hotheaded Bajoran like a hawk, clearly expecting him to go off at any moment. And for all that he was studiously ignoring her in turn, Julbi was as mentally focused on Okhala as she was on him. He fought the urge to roll his eyes - after all, he'd never once been their age and with similar rivalries, had he?

He spent the next ten minutes or so in quiet conversation with Thelm as they waited for the rest of the cadets to arrive. At five minutes to the hour, he had those present bring their attention to bear. "Alright, listen in. Welcome all, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, to your first of several of these administrative assignments."

The doors hissed open behind him, and a few stragglers hurried in to take their places. The XO filed their faces away for later; it was his intention to have at least one sit-down with each of the cadets and start filtering through which ones were directly involved in the incidents and who he could start releasing from the Bitch schedule. Collective punishment for a failure to intervene was one thing, but collective punishment in the name of some misapplied equality of treatment was another.

"Lieutenant Thelm will be monitoring your progress and situation across the hull - we're a fair distance from the dangerous parts of the nebula, but there's no need to leave you out there for longer than necessary. The crates over there contain the scrubbers you will be using to clean the manifolds of their gathered residue - I want the job done in five hours or fewer. You still have your other duties to attend to today, after all. I'll be here to count you back in."

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #10 – April 03, 2018, 07:17:37 AM

[ Cadet Laurel Okhala | EVA Lockers | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @Top Hat

Laurel's focus shifted to the door as footsteps approached, given the gate and the heaviness of the steps, she suspected it might be officers rather than more cadets, and was proved right when Ducote and the chief of ops walked through the doorway. She had only ever seen Chrief Thelm in passing, talking to C'Rusar or some of the ops cadets she had occasionally run errands for. Word was that he was tough but fair, everyone seemed to like him. Well that might change for some of the cadets today, she would reserve judgement until later. After being acknowledged but not addressed, Laurel felt her eyes turn back to warily watching Cadet Julbi. It was unlikely he would pull anything with officers present, but she couldn't allow herself to be complacent.

Soon after the stragglers started to file in, and Commander Ducote called them to attention. She allowed her focus to snap to the address and forcibly ignored the glares she could feel like a physical heat at her back. Being tethered to the outside of a ship with a group of people that hated her guts, sure was going to be a fun way to spend her day, certainly.

Ducote finished his address and stepped back to let Thelm take over. He assigned them lockers and told them to get suited up. Laurel supposed she shouldn't be surprised that she was assigned to share with Julbi. Sighing despondently she moved to stand next to him. They began fitting themselves with the suits. Then silently agreed to check each others seals. Laurel felt surprisingly sure that he wouldn't lie about that at least. Her father would have wanted her to ask someone else to double check, but she was less certain, that another cadet wouldn't actually sabotage either her or Julbi's work on purpose, and asking one of the officers would be asking for trouble with the Bajoran cadet. So nodding her thanks, she and Egon moved to the front of the line, to collect their scrubbers, then to follow Thelm to the airlock.

There was no chatter from the cadets, either like her, they were too nervous for chit chat, or too tired. Either way, it was quiet as Thelm stepped to the front to brief them on the proper technique to clean the exhausts. After that they filed out to their designated points of exit, and prepared to step out, into the blackness of space and the cold metal hull of the Endeavour's exterior.

With a nervous anxiousness, and excitement fueled giddiness, Laurel stepped out onto the hull, mag-boots initiating and looked up, taking in the never ending starfield above her. It was beautiful. <Come on, Okhala.> Julbi sneered, <You can stargaze later.>

Nodding she hefted her scrubber more securely and followed Julbi to their designated spot, along with the other two cadets in their group. <How long do you think the commander will keep us on the roster for your fuck up, Okhala?> Asked the snarling voice of the Andorian cadet.

The other cadet, Sharna, if Laurel remembered right, a nursing cadet, <It's as much Julbi's fault, don't be unfair.> Laurel saw Julbi put more force into his scrubbing at the comment.

<Enough, he'll leave us out here longer if you two don't get to work.> Egon snapped. <Okhala, mind that part, it's sharp, don't want you puncturing your suit.> genuine concern floated over the comms. Laurel was a little surprised but returned her mind to the task at hand, judging the other two cadets to be more of a threat than Julbi right now, she turned her senses to observing them as she kept her sights on the flap she was scrubbing, being careful to use the appropriate amount of force.

Despite the temperature controls within the suit, Laurel was soon sweating, and she could hear the others grunts and pants of effort over their open channel. She checke the chronometer in the hud of her suit and discovered they had been working on this same section of the ship for an hour, already.

<We'd best move on to the next section.> She stated, giving a look over her own work and deeming it acceptable, <Otherwise we're likely to be out here until dinner.> She saw the others nod, and the four of them began the short walk to the next set of flaps they were to clean.

Two more hours passed, as they found a rhythm to their work, and at the three and a half hour mark, an hour an a half earlier than they were a lotted, they were done. <Let's head back i- > Sharna was in the process of saying when Laurel noticed how close the woman had wandered toward an uneven dip in the panelling, her foot sliding into the housing of one of the flaps, they had just cleaned.

Laurel and the Andorian cadet, shouted warnings a fraction of a second too late, as the nursing cadet's leg sank into the paneling. Warnings began blaring as the hud on Laurel's suit focused in on the other Cadet. <Shit.> Muttered Julbi as he rushed to help Sharna. <Come and help me guys.> he ordered as he squatted to grab her by the armpits and pull. Sharna groaned and they all heard through their comms the sound of popping joints. <Shit!> Cursed Julbi again.

<Her foot's turned and the magboot is caught on something.> Laurel said as she got close enough to see what was going on. <Sharna, you may have to turn off the magnetization for us to pull you out.>

At that moment, they hear Thelm's voice come over the general comm channel, <All cadets return to the airlock, we're coming up on some debris, best get you all inside.>

<Shit.>

<Is that all you can say?> Asked Sharna, voice bordering hysterical.

Switching to the general comm channel, Laurel hailed Thelm, <Sir, Alpha Team is having a bit of a problem.> She paused for a moment, trying to come up with words to explain what was happening. <Cadet Sharna is . . . stuck.>

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #11 – April 09, 2018, 06:58:34 PM

[ Lt Thelm | EVA Control | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill

Thelm had been monitoring the cadets' progress from a small station in an anteroom just off from the locker area. The fact that his name was listed in their communication recipients list hadn't stopped the bickering early in the assignment, apparently. As Ducote had asked him, should the occasion arise, he noted down the names of those involved to pass along later. He almost pitied the officers-in-training; becoming the subject of the XO's latest minor crusade wasn't likely to end up being comfortable.

<... Cadet Sharna is... stuck.>

The Bolian reached out and tapped an icon on the console. "Have her de-mag her boot."

On the off-chance that there was a mechanical problem, he scanned the cadet in question to check her gear and whether or not she'd damaged her ankle. No injury, though her adrenaline was spiking.

It was possible to site-to-site her back inside without difficulty, and he primed a section of the display for just that, in case it became necessary. In the mean time, he wanted to see how the cadets would handle this latest adversity. And if nothing else, seeing Okhala stay to help her fellow cadet might go some way towards showing them that she wasn't an evil Romulan or total suck-up. After all, she was technically disobeying an order to embark the ship in order to aid a peer.

"Is she wedged? Injured?" he paused, a grin spreading across his face as another impromptu test occurred to him. He wasn't a harsh officer, and he doubted he had the reputation as one either, but he schooled his face to avoid having his smile translate into his tone for the next question. "Has she damaged the vent?"

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #12 – April 27, 2018, 01:06:44 AM

[Cadet Laurel Okhala | Exterior Hull- USS Endeavour Attn: @Top Hat

<Has she damaged the vent?>

Laurel felt her heart rate spike a little higher at the question. She hadn't considered that possibility. Scanning the vent again she sighed a little as all the readings came back within normal ranges. <No sir. I readings show that the vent is still at optimum operation except that it has a Cadet's foot in it, sir.> She heard one of the others snort a little, she hadn't said it to be funny but she could see why it might be taken that way.

<Sharna, can you demagnetize you boots?> Egon pressed again. As he finished the other cadet did just that. Then groaned again as her foot still seemed to be trapped in an odd angle. They all heard once again as the joint creaked threateningly. The other cadet whimpered under her breath.

<Sir, I believe that Cadet Sharna is uninjured as of right now, but I believe if we try to pull her out there is a high risk of us injuring her and harming the vent.> Laurel rushed as she reached out to help reduce the pull the wedged cadet was having forced on her ankle. <Is it possible to do a site-to-site without causing further complications?> She looked up to meet Julbi's worried eyes as they each clutched one of Sharna's shoulders to keep her steady. The other cadet stood off to the side looking at a loss for what to do to help.
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OOC: Sorry it took me so long to respond.

Re: USS Endeavour: Fighting Back

Reply #13 – May 05, 2018, 01:21:15 PM

[ Lt Thelm | EVA Control | USS Endeavour ] Attn: @YasyraTrill

Sharna was in a good deal of pain - and the jovial Bolian wasn't about to watch her suffer for the sake of a team-bonding exercise. Okhala wasn't overly troubled by his hasty wrenches in the smooth return to the airlocks, anyway, though that was somewhat to be expected given the summary Ducote had delivered about the level at which she already held herself.

<Is it possible to do a site-to-site without causing further complications?>

It was, of course. And for all that he wanted to give her room to find a more... manual solution, beaming her out was probably still the most sensible way to go about it. Thelm ran a final scan of the cadet to properly assess her injury while the transporters locked on, so he could notify sickbay to have someone on hand to help her in. He set the buffer to remove the EVA suit in transport to save the trouble of extracting an injured foot from an inflexible magboot. Sharna would be left with the more malleable undersuit instead.

"Transporting now. Stand clear." Inputting the final commands, he activated the transport. "Make a final headcount and continue to the airlock, Cadets. And watch where you all put your feet, won't you?" he added, with a little of his habitual warmth creeping back into his tone.

The stricken trainee disappeared, leaving Okhala and company to their own devices once more.

- FIN