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Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

INTERREGNUM 01-02 | STAR TREK: THEURGY

DAY 01 [0800 HRS.] ACTIVE RECOVERY

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“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson           

[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: All OOC, but also IC: @Ellen Fitz @Hope @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon
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Outside the viewports of the conference lounge, the star Qo'noS orbited was rising behind Praxis, and the male form of Captain Jien Ives squinted against the light. With his recent medical treatment, he could finally retain his form without greater difficulty, though it would take many more visits to sickbay before he was fully recovered. At least he didn't have to concentrate every moment to remain himself. "So you are saying that the Scion High Council deployed a saucer to collect him?"

[Yes,] said the hologram of the Voice, the image of the leader of the Savi rebels showing just the chest and the head above the wide conference table. [We both know that the Infested share a link, akin to a hive mind, so our theory is that when this version of your Doctor appeared in this temporal continuity, he was able to call upon aid from his own kind. You already know that our technology is more advanced than the Federation's, so when when the saucer reached Qo'noS, there was little any of you could do to stop them. Nor were we able to intercept it, since the Erudite's QSD was cooling down after returning from Breen space.]

Jien sighed and turned to glance at Stark, who was also present, and then to Cameron Henshaw, who were at her duty station at the side of the table. "That would correspond with what our Nicander has told us. What concerns me is that he also said the Doctor that came from beyond the anyonic phase variance carry the Niga virus, and his mere presence here might lead to another outbreak... which was part of the original plans of the Infested. We managed to stop the outbreak aboard this ship, a couple of months ago, but the antidote that our Nicander developed needs to be widely distributed and made readily available. Population dispersal methods needs to be researched, and warnings sent."

"Captain, this antidote... it was developed for the virus that spread aboard me," said Thea, standing at the other side of the room in her black body suit. "Yet what about Azurite Station? The facility that Lieutenant Zephyr Praise escaped from, after her research of the virus was seized by her superiors? Undoubtedly an Infested were among them, and they know of our antidote through Nicander... so wouldn't they try to mutate it to be more resilient... and try to spread it anew from there?"

The silence in the conference room that followed was brief, but the weight of the implications was crushing.

[Your A.I. makes a valid point,] said Echtand, his black eyes turning towards Thea for a moment. [When the Versant foraged your ship, we gathered no information on this starbase, so I presume its coordinates are classified. Will Lieutenant Praise provide the coordinates?]

"She was killed in action yesterday..." Jien said, turning to face the Voice's hologram with a frown, the reminder about the first encounter with the Savi not welcome, much less the recent losses, "though when we learned she had created the virus, she divulged enough for us to locate it. It is allegedly in one of the farthest sectors of the Federation, not so remote from Tholian space."

[I see... The war with the Scion High Council take precedence for us, as the outbreak will not concern the Savi directly. The terms of our alliance is clear, for it is stated in the Code that we should not involve ourselves directly in the concerns of primitives. Still... I offer to have the Erudite take a team from the Theurgy there, in case you wish to prevent the release of a new mutation of the virus. Our war efforts would benefit from the Erudite being in that region of the galaxy anyway, since we'll be able to deploy interceptors closer to a formation of Scion forces.]

"Aye, we do wish to prevent that, and the assistance is appreciated," said Jien quietly, foregoing further commentary about the epithet the Voice used since it wouldn't be conductive to the interest of keeping the aid the Savi could provide them. "When can the Erudite use its QSD again?"

[In eleven hours and thirty six minutes. Yet as I recall, you wished to speak of another matter?]

"Yes," Jien said and sighed, thinking of the conversation they'd had with Captain Ducane on the Relativity, "we wish to propose an exchange. We have the exact anyonic phase variance the parasites inhabit, which is enough to kill the Infested - host and parasites both. Our ambition is to use this, however, and instead separate the parasites from the host bodies via the use of our transporter systems. This by utilising a secondary containment beam for the other phase variance. We believe it possible in theory, yet our lead researcher in the project - Commander Vael Kaeris - was also killed in action. So, we ask for your aid personally, since I have seen you manage to rebuild a person from subatomic dust. So, we know that in your war, you have no interest in sparing the hosts, but for our own mission, we do... so how about an exchange?"

The suggestion was not made lightly, the implications of giving the rebel Savi the phase variance not lost on anyone in the room.

The Voice did not speak at first, his face unreadable - black eyes shifting in thought. [The phase variance is of high value. I will confer with my own council, since I lead a war across four Quadrants, and my time is limited. You will have your answer soon.]

"Very well," said Jien, hoping a new accord with the Voice wouldn't backfire, like Ducane has said it might in some iterations of the future. "We will send word when we have gathered a team to send to Azurite Station."

The Voice merely inclined his head, and then terminated the transmission - his image vanishing.

"Thea, any word from Ambassador Garak or Rear Admiral Anderson?" Jien asked, knowing Rutherford and the analyst named Dantius had managed to reach this second person that Jona Rez had sent the unedited simulcast.

"Not yet, Captain," Thea said with a shake of her head. "Nor have the officers in the Federation Embassy down on Qo'noS. We know they are aware of our presence, Martok's open support and his speech about the parasites making its rounds in the Klingon Empire. My suggestion is that we send a team there. Given the development, perhaps they will be amendable to hear us? If they can be convinced about the truth, there might even be officers there that are prepared to join our mission?"

"Let's hope so," Jien said and nodded. "Anything else?"

"The parts of House Mo'Kai's forces that refuse to acknowledge the stewardship of Mickayla MacGregor are being pursued by the KDF, both in the wilderness outside Qo'noS as well as the surrounding sectors of Klingon space. My analysis suggest that these renegade Mo'Kai forces will be resorting to terrorise us and any Martok sympathisers they encounter, so if our crew is to have shore leave, they should be cautioned about the high risk that House Mo'Kai still represent. Beyond that? Well, repairs of me have begun on all three of my Vectors, and Lieutenant Arnold's early estimates suggest that while repairs will continue, I can be reintegrated by the end of the week. All three sickbays have been working at full capacity through the night, and those able to have been sent to recover in their quarters, just to free up the biobeds in the recovery wards for further treatments. Lieutenant Leavitt has yet to submit a report that will shed further light on the involvement of the Relativity, and the Klingons report no Romulan scouts sighted at the border just yet."

"Thank you, Thea, that will be all," Jien said, and then looked at the chronometer on the wall display. It was 0800 hrs. "Could you please show them in?"

"Aye, Captain." Thea turned on her heel and walked outside to collect the officers that had been summoned to the meeting.

In the meantime, Jien turned to Stark and Henshaw and he changed... into her female form - her crystal clear tone heard in place of the deeper male voice. "Thank you for the assistance with the roster, both of you. Despite our losses, we must preserve the chain of command, and I have taken your advise to heart. Having looked over the service records of these candidates, I am confident that they will make great additions to the Senior Staff. After this meeting, however, we need to gather all the intel from the interrogation of Zephyr Praise and prepare an away mission to Azurite Station. We might even be too late, so the away team will have to look through the shipping logs there and see if any contaminants have left the station already. Question is, with both the Allegiant and the Sabine under repair, what shuttle do we send, and will it need a fighter escort?"

Stark and Henshaw had just enough time to offer their thoughts on the deployment, before the sliding doors opened for the invited officers. They were Frank Arnold, who was hard at work with Thea's repairs but had been told to make the summons a priority since it wouldn't be an overly long meeting. Then there was Sabrina Lail from the Oneida, and she might even bring news from the Iroquois-class ship. Commander Cross had also been summoned, his efforts in yesterdays battles having been lauded by many, despite the damages Thea had sustained. Given the opposition they'd faced, the remarkable thing had been how the damages hadn't been more substantial. Lieutenant Vanya was next, whom had once served on another ship of the same class before she'd stepped aboard the Theurgy, and lastly, being pushed into the conference lounge on a anti-grav chair by Thea, was Selena Ravenholm. The cybernetically augmented woman whom had once joined the crew from the Harbinger had been treated for her injuries through the night, but apparently she was still lacking some functionality in her spine. Thea pulled out one of the chairs so that she could have Selena seated alongside the rest of them.

"Welcome," Jien said with a quiet smile on her features, coming to stand at one end of the table. "This won't take long, and I reckon that you all might have realised what this is about, no doubt noticing whom you are here with. We have suffered losses since we left Aldea, and in these challenging times, it is imperative that we have a functioning chain-of-command. Starting with you, Ravenholm. You ran both the Engineering and Operations department on the Harbinger before you joined our crew, and you are more than passingly familiar with Thea at this point, so Stark and I find you to be the best candidate to take over Operations. This would require a promotion since you have civilian background, and after your efforts on Qo'noS, I say it is beyond merited. We'd like to make you Provisional Lieutenant, with all that entails. What say you?"

When she'd made the comment, Jien had no idea just how well Ravenholm knew Thea. Nor did she notice how Thea blushed, hastily deciding to go look at the view outside the conference lounge.

OOC: This is the starter for Interregnum 01-02! In the header I have listed some writers with present characters, but this post illustrates events overall, so it is a Attn: All nonetheless. As for posting order, I'd say 1) @Brutus 2) @BipSpoon 3) @chXinya and 4) me again, in which Ives speak to the rest gathered and a new posting order is set. If either of you want to post a reaction post before then, however, you are more than welcome to do so, @Ellen Fitz @Hope @uytrereee & @Number6 !

So, this is set the morning after the conclusion of Episode 01: Advent of War. With this starter, we open up for Supplemental threads set between Day 1 and Day 7 of the Interregnum. The rest of the 14 days of the Interregnum are N/A for the time being. If you have a scene set before 0800 hrs. (where the above scene take place), it belongs to the Epilogue of Advent of War, and should be posted on that board instead. The naming convention for all Supplemental threads (Group or One-on-One) in Interregnum 01-02 is Day 0X [YYYY hrs.] Insert Title, wherein X marks the day and YYYY marks the time.

There will be a list of Story Objectives that will be detailed in an upcoming Newsletter, which covers potential missions in this first week of the Interregnum, but this is also a time for R&R. I will be working on wiki information on Qo'noS to offer some detail to the settings planet-side, which I hope will come to inspire some adventures off the ship.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #1 –
[Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Quarters of the Executive Officer  | Deck 10 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BipSpoon @Hope @uytrereee @Ellen Fitz @chXinya @Number6 
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"The color feel's wrong," Natalie said to herself, staring at the mirror in her quarters, the holographic representation of herself staring back at her.  From the moment she entered the Academy almost a decade ago, until she pulled on her freshly replicated under tunic that morning, Natalie's department color, the primary splash of color from day to day, was Operations Gold. Her entire career, such as it was, had been the Ops track, and while she might have indulged the occasional fantasy about taking on more command duties, years from now, Natalie had not seen a change in department as anything realistic in her immediate future. Certainly, she had assumed, it would not come aboard Theurgy where she was cutting her teeth as an assistant department head.

It had been a hell year, especially the last few, brutal months.  And in that year, Natalie had gone from a quiet, if enthusiastic Assistant Ops chief, to a battle hardened, seasoned Department head, a 'veteran' she'd heard herself called. And now...she was the ships Executive Officer. That came with a golden pip to replace her blackened one, and a new color shirt, as well as matching piping on her jacket.

"Holy shit," she whispered softly, the enormity of it all hitting her in that moment as she tapped her fingers along the three pips. Then she reached down, tugged her jacket into place, smoothed out her skirt, and forced away the shock from her face. A cup of coffee and carefully applied (subtle) makeup had hidden how tired she'd looked that morning when she crawled out of the bed. Sheer will power would have to do to make her look competent. Nodding once, she muttered, "There's a job to do, quit woolgathering."

And as simply as that, she turned on her heels and left.

[Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]

Getting promoted, while surreal in a completely different way than her last promotion (also as a result of the death of the man that had held the position prior, but she was not thinking about that now) failed to change one key aspect of Natalie's habits. Even as she, Ens. Henshaw, and Captain Ives spoke with the holograpic visage of the Voice of the Savi, Natalie cradled a cup of coffee in her hands, using it to keep the occupied and reduce her urge to fidget. The vessel contained the sweet nectar of life itself, and she'd be damned if she was going to face this meeting on the single cup she'd had in her quarters earlier. Not after the long night and short sleep.

Besides, she needed the moral support the cup offered her, in the wake of one of her literal nightmares being realized in reality.

There was a doppelganger of Lucan cin Nicander at loose in the universe harboring some version of the Niga Vrius, that had nearly cost Natalie her sanity in addition to her innocence and her ability to sleep most nights without terror. Not that she lacked for plenty of fodder for troubled sleep, something she had been getting better at for a multitude of reasons, but the recent revelation that a Nicander lacking none of the inhibitions nor better nature of the one currently confined to the bridge, was out there, somewhere left her mouth tasting of ash.

Until she swallowed another swig of the coffee, in any event.  Everything really was better with her favorite liquid crutch. Shortly after swallowing the pallet cleansing brew, the Savi envoy's image vanished, and Nat set the cup down on the edge of the table by her chair, letting out a soft sigh and mulling over the details of the agreement. Going to have to put an away team together to go that station and get whatever we can from it.

Making a list of candidates in the back of her mind, Cmdr. Stark let her focus lie primarily on the round up of current events from Thea. There had been a tabulated set of updates funneled to her over the previous shift that sat on her PaDD, but for now she preferred to come to terms with their current status listing to the ships avatar (though she had flipped through the briefing doc on the turbolift ride up to the Bridge). She'd been most interested in the repair status of the Theurgy; understandable, given her previous posting as the ships Chief of Operations. But she found herself concerned that there had been no debrief of the ships latest time traveler.

Please, no more cults. Pretty please? Maybe the Great Bird of the Galaxy would hear her prayers. More like than not, a bored Q would, and then things would be even worse than they were now. She lightly rapped her knuckles on the closest piece of wood she could find, some of the decorative wainscoting running around the observation lounge. Odds are it was actually some composite that simply looked wooden, but still, it was the thought that counted, right?

Sending Thea out to fetch what would pass as the ships new Senior Staff, Natalie nodded in turn to Captain Ives, letting her eyes give the (now) woman a once over, looking for any signs of issue or weakness. Ives had been damn near gutted on Qo'noS while she was dealing with the plethora of issues in orbit. This was not the first time that her ships Captain had been seriously, nigh on grievously injured while away from the ship  and out of Natalie s immediate reach, and she was staring to wonder if her job was going to be telling the Captain to stay put and safely out of risk. Or what passed for safety.

Fat chance of that, she concluded. Ives would do as Ives deemed necessary and Natalie would do her best to hold everything together in the mean while.

Still, there was work to be done, and the former Ops Chief pursed her lips, running through a mental check list of available small craft. Taking a breath she noted, "As I see it our best options are either the Rosiland Franklin, our Type-11 shuttlecraft," she paused her to pick up her PaDD and call up the manifest of vehicles registered as aboard, but not chiefly assigned to, the Theurgy. "or the The Apache. Provided of course that Mr. Lorad and his sister Samala are amenable. Even though they have both enlisted in Starfleet and taken up postings here aboard ship, the Apache is technically still their property."

Listening for a moment to the others, Natalie nodded in general agreement, deeming only to add that, "Each vessel gives us an advantage in its own way. The Franklin is a Federation Shuttlecraft, and will likely be able to transit Federation space unaccosted. On the other hand, the Apache is clearly unassociated with the Theurgy, which may be a boon in its own right."

Having made her case, Natalie turned to welcome the 'new' faces entering the room. Many were in fact familiar in some facet or another, with only Sabrina Lail, of the Oneida being truly unknown to Stark prior to this meeting. On the other side of that pendulum sat (or currently, stood) Lt. Vanya. Whom Stark had known longer than anyone else in this room, and more intimately in...well. Ways that were unprofessional to contemplate at the moment. She still shared a small, private smile with the Android, though she tried to project calm and welcoming vibes to all the newcomers. Easily done, as she personally liked Lt. Commander Cross and Lt. Frank Arnold. The former had grown on her with his openness to get to know her and the other staff when he'd come abroad in the wake of the destruction of the USS Endeavour, and the latte was simply an infectiously likable man, the charismatic kind of officer that most humanoids would enjoy being in the presence of.

As for Selena Ravenholm, her interactions with the cybernetically augmented woman had been sparse, but Selena's capabilities left her more than qualified for the position that she and Captain Ives were about to offer the injured woman. No one could deny that the 'enhanced' specialist had not given quite a bit to the mission at hand, and her prior experience, which Captain Ives was quick to highlight once they had all taken their seats, was on the point. As much as Natalie liked some of her current Ops officers, none of them were ready to step into the seat that she herself would be vacating. The department had been gutted at the top-level (rather literally, given how some of her Assistant Chiefs had died), and now that Natalie was stepping fully into the Executive Officer position, they needed a candidate with leadership experience.

Thus, she simply nodded in her agreement of Ives assessment of the situation, and the clearly offered promotion and shift in position and responsibility for the currently injured woman. In truth, she felt that way about every new potential department head, be it the gregarious Frank Arnold or the sometimes reserved, sometimes animated Cross, whom each had shown a capability for independent command and leadership during numerous off ship missions since their hasty departure from Aldea, to Vanya, whom had run a science department previously, on an admittedly smaller ship, but in whose competence Natalie had both professional and personal confidence and pride. The question before them was simply: would any of them take the offered positions? Thrice now, Natalie had stood where they all stood (or sat, in this case), offered increased responsibility, and often increased rank, in the wake of death and battle casualties. Once, replacing Tristian Hendricks as the ships Operations Chief. The second time had been taking on the mantle of Second Officer, in the wake of Wenn Cinn's sacrifice just under two months prior, decisively ending the Borg Invasion before it could truly manifest. And now, the next in a regrettably long chain of personnel to step into the role of Executive Officer, most recently (and capably) filled by the late Ranaan Ducote.

No pressure folks.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #2 –
[ Lieutenant Frank Arnold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Hope @chXinya @Auctor Lucan @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon 
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Frank had left just a little time for shenanigans since he had been back. Mostly it had been repairs, many of which he'd had a personal hand in, given many of his own were laid up in a sickbay, or were on light duty. Those Engineers that he did have were hard at work, putting Thea's guts back together. Frank had a rule, when his people stood, he did not sit, and therefore he'd not sat down yet, apart for a brief moment to catch his breath with a friend. To him that was bending the rule, more than it was breaking it.

It seemed these days that Frank had spent more time in his jumpsuit than he had in his strict uniform, which mean that when he showed up in his pressed uniform, it was an oddity. The traces of having been called off a job to come to this meeting were clear. HIs uniform clearly showed a couple creases which demonstrated that it had been worn under a standard jumpsuit, and while he'd washed up before coming, there were still traces of goggle lines around his eyes from the dirt and grease that came with repair work. But, he had come as summoned, and had tried his best to put a priority on the Captain, because he was the Captain.

When the sliding doors opened, Frank tried his best to file in quietly. He'd brought his PADD just in case, tucked under his arm, but had left his toolbelt and his jumpsuit in main engineering, but not in the office he'd not had the heart to open quite yet. He offered a polite, "Captain, Commander" to the pair of ranking officers in the room, and otherwise said nothing while he took his seat.

He patiently waited his turn to be addressed, as Selena Ravenholm was given her just dues. He thought to himself on the irony of having glanced his drone's pilot under these circumstances, having nary briefly met her otherwise. He took a brief moment to return a bright and cheery smile to Natalie Stark, who was equally easy to like as himself, which was in no small part due to how beautiful he found her and that she'd taken time to meet him when he'd asked, and since he was feeling bold he offered her a little wink as well. He also took a moment to study Cam, having seen her on the bridge, but never spoken to her. After his eyes had lingered upon each of the people gathered here, he set his PADD atop the table, and patiently crossed his hands, just waiting.

((I figured I'd just do a short scene setter, I'll post again when it comes around to me!))

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #3 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @uytrereee @Ellen Fitz @Hope @chXinya @Number6
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Cam had returned to her quarters the previous night, and she didn’t remember much beyond walking in the door. When she’d woken, she had woken up closer to the foot of her bed than the head, and she’d been splayed out on her belly on top of her blanket instead of under it. She had still been wearing her dirty uniform even. However, she’d managed to get a good night's rest, and a good shower. She had a mild concussion, but luckily that and a small head laceration were the worst of it. Others had fared far worse than she had.

She'd had what felt like a vat full of coffee, given the racing of her heart. She'd eaten a good breakfast, and she'd managed to get her uniform neatly in order. Her hair was pulled into a neat, but loose-fitting bun on her head, which was a bit of a change from the usual.

She had been standing at her console in the conference lounge, and was staring at the same hologram that Ives was addressing. She however, remained absolutely silent. So Nicander had been helped by the Scion’s. That was an alarming development, and her face showed it. A parasite and the Niga Virus combined was a combination she wasn’t comfortable with by any means. She didn’t know a great deal about the intensive research that had gone into the antidote, however, she recalled some theories she’d read in the academy about mass dispersal of things like it. It wasn’t exactly like they could advertise their location to share the antidote though.

Azurite Station. Tholians. Scions. There was never a quiet or dull moment aboard Theurgy. Even during ‘downtime’. She jotted the names down briefly in her notes for the meeting, but said nothing about it. Giving the Savi the phase variance would allow them to use it on just about anyone they wanted. Which...truthfully terrified the Yeoman. Theoretically, it could mean the ends of countless lives. However, they didn’t interfere with ‘primitives’, she wasn’t sure how far that would extend though.

Despite the Romulans not yet being spotted, it was at the forefront of Cam’s mind that they could still be there. They could be, and likely were lurking...watching them from afar. It wasn’t lost on her just how dangerous the Praetor was. She gave the Captain a quick nod. Her thanks were not needed. “I can compile the data for you both.” She offered briefly, again adding it to her list of notes. Senior staff meetings typically meant some more work after the fact for Cam, but she didn’t mind. She truly enjoyed being able to organize something. At that point more than ever, she needed to keep herself busy.

Looking at Stark, she spoke up. “If they’re willing, I think the Apache would be a better option. If by some bad luck the Franklin is spotted and accosted, they’d be in trouble. As for a fighter escort...I don’t think that’s a bad idea either. We don’t know if Starfleet will stop them, or if the Romulans are lurking and waiting for us to do something. A single shuttle or ship would be an easier target to pick off or capture.” She paused then just offered a quick nod. Either way, she would do her part to assist in seeing it through. "However, I think the Franklin would do just fine so long as they're cautious, but in that instance I would definitely say fighters would be valuable to success."

Once finished, she’d turned her attention towards the door, and to the new faces that began to pour in. She was quickly reminded just how many faces she’d seen in those chairs in recent months, and again felt a pang of cold, brutal grief wallop her in the gut. Some of the new staff were familiar faces, but most were not.

First among the unfamiliar, was Lieutenant Arnold, who she offered a mild, but still warm smile of greeting to, accompanied with a quick nod. Clearly he’d been at work, which was a good sign right off the bat. Beside her, on a small PADD was a list. It was a list of those killed or wounded, and despite not even looking at it. Cam could feel it there, emanate a field of sorrow and loss for her to feel, and try to ignore. She never thought she’d be much of a soldier, yet there she was. She had been in the thick of it since she’d come aboard. She didn’t regret it, but she certainly hadn’t expected it from her career. Beside the first PADD, was another containing her notes.

Her eyes trained onto the Captain, watching her reactions as well as the staff trickled into the lounge.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Hope  @uytrereee  @chXinya  @Number6  @Brutus  @BipSpoon  @Auctor Lucan

After a night haunted with memories—he couldn’t call them dreams because he’d barely slept—Cross felt like shit. Not so terrible that he was about to wave a white flag and report to sickbay, especially not when more legitimate needs had yet to be met among the injured, but there was no sugar-coating the empty pit that currently lived beneath his sternum. It was like an incessant hunger or an unquenchable thirst. Always there, demanding, grating…

Outwardly, he moved with the same confidence and purpose as ever, maintaining the veneer of having his shit together for the sake of his position and the ship’s smooth running. Yet in his private thoughts, Cross was grimly curious at what point in life did surviving friends ever stop hurting and became “old hat” to the survivor? It had happened to him ever since childhood back in the Cardassian lab and yet it still hurt and he still grieved every time it occurred and it seemed there would be no end to it. Was that the point of living? To feel pain over and over and over again until you were no longer the one who survived? And all with but fleeting moments of pleasure mixed in to momentarily fool one into thinking that there was more to living than pain?

Cross swallowed his existential crisis as he walked through the sliding doors into the conference lounge alongside the others the captain had invited. He nodded his greeting to the officers already in the room but remained silent otherwise. And while he was one of the first to make his way to the conference table, he waited until after Selena was seated before he took his own. The captain broke the silence soon after, speaking of the losses, and then addressed Selena directly.

During this, Cross allowed his eyes to wander over the rest of those gathered at the table. While he knew some more than others, all were stalwart officers who knew their stuff and with whom he was proud to serve. While his personal life was a maelstrom of confusion and pain, at least his work made sense. The responsibility to the ship and its crew was a given and a comforting one at that. He knew Hathev wanted, and needed, to have his time, that they needed to figure themselves out in the aftermath of this last mission. It was the mature and respectful thing to contemplate and arrange for. However, Cross also felt the push to conceal his emotional aches beneath a mountain of work. At this point, he would rather be sent on another mission, given another responsibility, anything, than to be left alone with his thoughts or challenged to talk about his feelings.

Subtly shifting in his chair, Cross loosely clasped his hands together on the table and nodded. He needed to keep his mind on the present. He was on duty and that came with it certain expectations. One being that he didn’t lose his thoughts up his own ass.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #5 –
[ Lt Sabrina Lail | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon  
[Show/Hide]

Sabrina had beamed aboard Theurgy at 0600 hours and received her summons to a senior staff meeting while she was on the transporter pad - duffle bags in hand. Fortunately, she had time to clean up and hide how exhausted she was with a light touch of makeup while still aboard the Oneida where she also caught what little sleep she could. She didn’t have much time to herself to unpack in her new quarters on Deck 10, quite the opposite, she was in haste and didn’t really have a moment for her mind to reflect on her decision to leave the Oneida until she was waiting outside the Conference Lounge with the other officers that had been called to the meeting, none of whom she recognized. Of course, that was probably mutual - she was the only one present from the Oneida.

While waiting for the Conference Lounge doors to open, Lail let her eyes trace the various other officers present just long enough to remember their faces and briefly glimpse the type of person they were, or at the very least, wanted to project. Confident, hardworking - Sabrina cut her thought short when she got to the woman in the anti-grav chair; a reminder of the toll of the past day.

It was also a reminder that Lail’s confidence which ordinarily held steadfast was a mere facade to the attempts of reconciliation occurring in her mind about the decision she made to join the very people she was now surrounded by. Time, however, seemingly went by as the Conference Lounge doors slid open and Sabrina followed in second.

She gave a warm smile to Captain Ives, greeting her with a polite “Captain” before respectfully nodding at Commander Natalie Stark whom she had only seen on Oneida’s viewscreen up until that point, as well as a respectful nod to the ensign she never met before.

As she found her way to her seat, like the other officers that had come in with her, she waited to sit down until Thea had brought in the woman in the anti-grav chair and properly seated her out of respect.

When Lail sat down, she crossed her legs and folded her hands atop the table, patiently waiting for the meeting to commence.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #6 –
[Selena Ravenholm | Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Ellen Fitz @uytrereee @Number6 @BipSpoon

Waiting outside the Conference Lounge, Selena hovered as out of the way as she could while strapped to an anti-grav chair.  Sitting ramrod straight she watched the red-trimmed lower decker sitting in her normal seat, a frantic look on his face as he struggles to keep up with the data volume.  She couldn’t help but smirk, but her steel-blue eyes were sympathetic.  For a moment the woman thought about gliding over to give the beleaguered crewman a hand, but the summons sounded pretty urgent.  It was a moot point though, before she could give it much thought the Lounge’s door opened to reveal Thea, hands clasped behind her and trademark smile on her holographic face.  “The Captain is ready for you now.  Please.” She directed everyone to the open door with a hand while stepping out of the way.  Selena waited for the others to head in first, giving Thea ample time to surprise her friend.  “Please, allow me.” She said from behind her, and Selena had to resist the urge to turn and look.  Doctor’s orders.  “Thanks Thea.” She replied instead, smiling for whatever camera the hologram might have in view.

Ever the lady, Thea moved one of the chairs out of the way for Selena to slide right on up to the table, and even if the gathered crowd didn’t tip her off, the specific chair Thea moved was big giveaway: the Captain’s left hand.  Tradition noted that position as the Chief of Operations’s, so while she gave Captain Ives her full attention during the welcome and speech, there was no true surprise when the offer was made.  Nodding a bit slower than she would’ve preferred to (and suppressing a wince of pain just from that motion), Selena rested her artificial hands on the table, one hand gripping the other wrist for what she thought was an authoritative pose.  Thea’s blush and quick evasive gaze out the window didn’t escape her notice either, and Selena couldn’t stop the smirk at the captain’s innocently unfortunate choice of words.

Despite the posturing, a hundred different thoughts raced through the woman’s head.  A promotion was awesome, but that meant a lot more work to do.  Sure she would be working much more closely with Thea than ever before so the workload shouldn’t be that bad, but the ship never truly slept, something was always going on that might require her attention.  Would she look good in yellow?  How much time could she devote to her other projects?  It was a lot to consider in just a few seconds, and this wasn’t the kind of situation where she could ask for a day or so to think it over.

“I’ll take the job Captain.” Selena announced, glancing between Ives and now-Commander Stark, the prior occupant of the chair.  “It might take a few more days before I get back on my feet permanently, but that won’t stop me from getting up to speed.”

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #7 –
[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: All OOC, but also IC: @Ellen Fitz @Hope @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon
[Show/Hide]
When Stark and Henshaw had made their suggestions for the mission to Azurite Station, Jien had nodded thoughtfully to their comments on which craft they ought to deploy, and whether or not it ought to have a fighter escort, but she made no immediate comment on the options since the new candidates for the vacant Senior Staff positions had filed in through the door.

Selena Ravenholm accepted the offer Jien presented, and she was glad that she rose to the challenge. It wasn't overly surprising, since the former FNN undercover reporter had come a long way since she stepped aboard the Harbinger with the intent to investigate Captain Vasser. She'd been caught up in the mission even before she set her foot on the Theurgy, and throughout the events since that day she hadn't just helped in ending Vasser's hostile takeover of the ship, but with her unique abilities, experience and background, she had done much more than mere feats of software engineering. Part machine, she might be more attuned to working with Thea than any organic might, able to link with her directly as she were.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Ravenholm, and make sure you make your recovery a priority, regardless of your new duties. We need you at your best," Jien said with a smile, and then turned to their Chief Tactical Officer.

"Commander Cross, with Stark assuming her duties as my First Officer, and given your excellent service record since you came aboard the Theurgy in the Azure Nebula, I would like to name you our Second Officer." Her faint smile remained as she paced around corner of the desk, approaching the now-Vulcan officer. "I offer this based on your conduct when fighting House Mo'Kai under Stark's command, as well as leading the mission to avert the threat at Praxis. Even aboard the Versant, where we first met, and during the dire circumstances we found ourselves in, you kept your composure and were able to use the Savi dreadnought to help destroy the Borg Queen's cube. I asked you to take the command test when you assumed your current position, and now I ask you to serve with the readiness that you may lead this mission in mine and Stark's absence, or - should it be required - command one of the Vectors if we go into an extended MVAM mission. Are you prepared to do that?"

Having asked Cross this, Jien listened to the answer, before turning to the next person in line. "Lieutenant Sabrina Lail. When the Oneida faced the Romulan warbird that the Praetor sent for Qo'noS, your skills at the helm made a great difference, and not only did you and the Lone Wolves stop the enemy from completing its mission, the unorthodox manouvre you pulled ensured that Major Situka could be extracted as well." Jien paused, thinking about their conversation before they'd reached Qo'noS. "I know you already asked to be transferred to the Theurgy when we met on the Oneida, and while Captain Jackson would love to keep you, he knows your experience at the helm is needed on the Theurgy more given our dire losses in CONN. Before we lost Mister Veradin in the battle with House Mo'Kai, we have lost many other great helmsmen, and someone with your rank and experience would be a great contribution to our Senior Staff. Are you willing to take on that responsibility?"

Once the new officer from the Iroquois-class ship gave her answer, Jien nodded gratefully, and turned her attention to Frank Arnold. "Lieutenant, you are already handling the duties and the tasks that Commander Tiran would have if she were still with us, and I am asking you if you are prepared to do so officially, as the new Chief Engineer of the Theurgy." It had to be expected that she'd make him the offer, but she still elaborated. "Even though you have not served on the Theurgy for a long time, you have shown a wide range of capabilities, ranging from your engineering experience in how you extended the capabilities of our last remaining Tovarek drone, to using it in the field, and not just that, also leading the successful side-mission to the Andorian home world. To top it off, you kept the Allegiant together though the mission at Praxis as well, and I have great confidence in asking you to lead our engineering crew from this day on, should you be so willing."

Lastly, after Frank Arnold gave his answer, Jien turned to the last person at the table - this being the Romulan Android. "Lieutenant Vanya. The passing of Commander Kaeris was a deeply felt loss, not just on a personal level for many of us, but his research into the anyonic phase variance that the parasites share... it has set back this mission to square one in terms of how we can save the hosts. Before this meeting, we spoke with the Voice of the Savi, and if we are fortunate, he might offer to help us find the way to isolate the parasites with transporter technology, but either way, if you are willing, I have great confidence that you will be able to lead the Science Department aboard in all the challenges we might face during this mission. Not only because you served in such a capacity on the Cayuga, but because you are not the kind of scientist that shies away from field work when needed - as your performance during the mission to Breen space showed." Jien paused, thinking about someone they both knew well. "When Anya Ziegler served as my First Officer, I trusted her judgement, and if she picked you as her Chief Science Officer, that is all the more reason why I ought to offer you the same position. I might not be the Captain you thought to serve when you left Earth, her being the Commanding Officer you know best... but I hope to get to know you as she did."

Hopefully, Ziegler and her remaining crew were still alive out there... somewhere.

OOC: For posting order this time around, I'd say 1) @Ellen Fitz 2) @Hope 3) @uytrereee and then 4) @Number6, as indicated in the post above.

Of course, @Brutus, @BipSpoon and  @chXinya, if either of you want to post a reaction post before this sequence above is over, feel free to do so! I will post after @Number6 either way. :)

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Hope  @uytrereee  @chXinya  @Number6  @Brutus  @BipSpoon  @Auctor Lucan

Lieutenant Ravenholm was most deserving of the promotion, Cross felt, and he gave her an encouraging nod to lend his support after she accepted the position. When the captain’s attention honed in on his position, Cross tipped his head to the side but otherwise maintained his composure. As Ives mentioned the Azure Nebula, Cross briefly heard that stupid cybernetic owl, Blue’s Albert, in his head. It was a subtle movement when he made it, but Cross had to shake his head to clear it of the bird’s noises and Blue’s accompanying witticisms.

Renewing his full attention on the captain, Cross continued to listen as Ives described the incidents with House Mo’Kai and the Borg. Not for the first time, it occurred to him that Starfleet was his life. Cross was no fortune teller, but he already knew that he would die in the line of duty to Starfleet, and likely not as an old man. And his dedication to the ideology and values of the Federation was part of why he’d decided to remain aboard in the first place. Ives was a captain who exuded those values and gathered to herself like-minded officers and crew that Cross was grateful to serve with. Now Ives had noted this facet of Cross’ character and intended to capitalize on that, and Cross was eager to rise to the challenge such a promotion set before him.

Cross bowed his head respectfully to the captain when she finished laying out the parameters of the position and when he might be called upon to assume command.

“Thank you, captain, for the commendation and for the opportunity to serve as Second Officer. I am prepared to assume the position, and it is my honor to serve with such a fine crew as found on this ship.”

He followed the captain as she addressed next Lieutenant Lail. This was one of the room’s occupants he was not as familiar with, though, as Ives described her meritous actions, he had no doubt she was as deserving of the position as all the others sitting in the room, as it was quite clear to Cross that while it may not be the sole purpose of the meeting, taking the time to acknowledge and promote key personnel was at least part of the purpose. However, he was curious who was the more innovative “driver” this Lail or Ensign Pierce. Cross was mature enough to realize that setting them up for a competition was not becoming his new position, but that didn’t stop him from wondering.

As Ives moved on to Arnold, Cross again had to steel himself against unwanted emotional detours. Frank was here because Blue was not, and that was a fact he did not want to begrudge Arnold. He personally liked the man and professionally felt like he could take a Borg cube on with a hand tied behind his back if Arnold was in his engine room. Arnold had nothing to do with Blue’s death, and Cross refused to allow the hovering ghost of his friend to get between him and the new Chief Engineer, no matter how much he would be reminded of her loss every time he looked at Arnold.

Lieutenant Vanya was next, and in short order, Cross felt as if the room was filled with a sense of determined hope as each individual was left to ponder their new position and the fast approaching future.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #9 –
[ Lt Sabrina Lail | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon  
[Show/Hide]

Acceptance went through Sabrina’s mind as she knew the call to duty was coming. In truth, she had a feeling since she first stepped aboard the Theurgy at 0600 hours and received an invitation to the Senior Staff meeting. Lail sat in her chair with hands folded against the table and legs crossed as her brown eyes followed Captain Ives carefully. She was recounting the most recent events Sabrina partook in onboard the Oneida. Ives was describing aloud how instrumental the unconventional maneuver Lail had used against the Romulan warbird proved to allow for the successful extraction of Major Situka, the Romulan asset.

Captain Ives then recounted a conversation she and Lail had when they first met. One in which Sabrina had requested a transfer to the Theurgy. She made that request because she knew that her skills and experience would be needed on the ship central to the mission that she embarked on initially with the crew of the Oneida. It seemed Captain Jackson and Captain Ives knew that too. As Captain Ives made clear in painting the grim reality that had plagued Theurgy’s CONN which had been struck by devastating losses, the ship needed a helmsman with rank and experience both of which Sabrina had.

When Ives posed the question to Sabrina, to become Theurgy’s new Chief CONN Officer, precious seconds seemed to turn into eternity for Lail; as if time had stood still. It took her back to 2376 when Captain Jackson had asked her an almost identical question. There was a lot to consider yet nothing to consider at all - this was why she chose to be here. Sabrina eyed the Theurgy Captain and responded.

“It would be an honor and a privilege,” Lail stated accepting Captain Ives’ offer.

Sabrina reflected on the moment and everything that Captain Ives had said about her. Lail had unwavering confidence when it came to her ability to helm a starship and her change in posture as Captain Ives continued exuded the brunette’s confidence.

“I will begin familiarizing myself with the operations of the helm of this ship,” the brunette stated. “As well as the ship’s capabilities and the CONN department,” Sabrina continued. “It may take several days to get everything in order but I do not foresee a problem,” Lail iterated.

Sabrina continued to focus on the Captain as she moved down the line, addressing Lieutenant Frank Arnold next for the position of Chief Engineer and finally Lieutenant Vanya for the position of Chief Science Officer. With the promotions completed, Lail’s eyes glanced from person to person. These would be her new colleagues, even friends. As a brief reprieve befell the room, Sabrina’s mind was left to wonder for she was truly sailing into the unknown and she suspected the others felt similarly in some capacity.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #10 –
[ Lieutenant Frank Arnold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Hope @Ellen Fitz @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon 
[Show/Hide]

Frank had taken his seat, and settled into the chair to listen. Not an overstated man, he'd simply been content to cross his hands, and watch as other members that were summoned joined. He watched their faces, and there simply were not that many he'd known. For many of the people in the room, they'd lost longtime friends and compatriots. Their world had changed permanently, and not for the better. For Frank, he'd lost almost all of the anchors to the Theurgy he'd developed during his short tenure, during his arrival to Aldea. He imagined if a fledgling plant could feel, this is how it would feel being plucked from the garden, and placed into a new pot. His roots hadn't grown yet.

As the conversation began, and the Captain began to address each of the invited attendees, Frank was putting it together. While he played the simple every man, the reality was like most every other person who had passed through the Starfleet Academy, he was sharp, and his penchant for damage control meant being comfortable drawing conclusions quickly. By the time the Captain had offered Commander Cross a change in billet, he'd determined he was about to be offered the position of Chief Engineer. His eyes wandered the table for the tell-tale small boxes which very often accompanied changes in billet, as he struck a contemplative face.

Ten months ago, the prospect would have filled him with unabated joy. Yet in the wake of so much strife, more than he'd seen since the Dominion War, the warmth he felt at the notion, was tempered by a knot in his stomach. Grief had made love to doubt, and left his stomach swollen with a reminder of the truest responsibilities of leadership. In the dangerous game they were playing, their moves were not decided by an aloof and ill-known player, but by their own decisions. Those decisions always had consequences, and experience, good judgment, luck and a trusty gut were the only thing standing between good, bad, and very bad. Mistakes had numbers and fancy words that all amounted to the same terminal, killed, wounded, or missing. From here, there were no lifelines.

And yet, in spite of all this, there was never truly a doubt in his mind; Not because he sought the power of a promotion, but because he'd made a young girl with blue hair and a foul mouth a promise He'd not known her long, but she'd made an impression, and just because she was gone didn't mean he got off the hook. That motivation allowed the lament of the last while to harden, rather than soften, his core.

Frank took a breath that let out in a brief sigh, and offered with the occasional subconscious hand movement to illustrate his point, "I've never been one to blush away from sincerity when brevity is called for. I've not been with the Theurgy long, but this crew has made an impression on me. I admire their combined spirit, ingenuity, and unwillingness to let danger go unchecked, personal consequences be damned. They make me proud to be Starfleet, and I won't allow myself to let them down Captain. Chief Blue made an impression on me in our short time together, and I'm fully aware the gravity of the person I'm being asked to carry on from. Prepared or not I'll never replace the officer you've lost, but you have my assurance I'll do my best every day to try."

Frank cleared his throat after a pause, "I accept, I will lead the Theurgy's Engineering department. Thank you for the privilege Captain. I'll begin familiarizing with training plans, review candidates to recommend for an interim Assistant Chief, and tasking vectors two and three." He paused, and offered some technical details he'd not had on the bridge when he'd given his prior status update, "No time like the present, we've run the full damage analyses. Once the immediate medical challenges of the next couple of days are settled, and the shirts begin to fill the Engineering Bay again, we'll be in ship shape to complete the repairs on the Theurgy on, or possibly slightly before the timeline I offered previously.  This may leave us an opportunity to perform auxiliary repairs on the Allegiant, although the damage to her was more severe, so if you or the other department heads had a more immediate mission concern we'd possibly have some manpower available."

He nodded curtly, and folded his hands once again, back returned to seat and Frank to silence. He thought on what he'd agreed to do, and that it meant he'd need to go in Blue's office, his office, and that he better do a damned good job or she'd haunt him for the rest of his days. He idly rubbed just below his sternum on occasion as he listened to what transpired, as if the pit of doubt that settled there could be soothed so easily.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #11 –
[ Lieutenant Vanya | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan   @Hope  @Ellen Fitz  @chXinya   @uytrereee   @Brutus  @BipSpoon

In spite of the somber mood in the room, Vanya allowed herself at seeing Nat in red.  She had never had that kind of confidence before, and she could still detect some nerves in there, and yet to see her even wearing the red of command made Vanya proud.  Nat returned the smile, which was as far as they could go in the current company.    She glided over to her chair and eased herself in, interlacing her fingers and nodding to her peers, anticipating the opportunity to tease Nat privately later. 

She expected that this would be a debrief of some kind.  As one of the more experience science officers, Vanya expected that she would be feeding back for a mission or task in the absence of a department head.  She looked around the room, none of the assembled guests were department heads either.  As Ives spoke, she began to realise what had happened.   They were filling the vacated roles.   Someone wanted Vanya to be a science head, again.    

She was being made a department head.  There were doubts of course.  Her last stint as science officer ended up with her ship going missing.  Not that it was her fault, but as a “refugee” of sorts from that ship, she hadn’t yet felt integrated into the Theurgy’s crew.  She was full of doubt, until the Captain turned to her and mentioned one name.  The second name in her life that gave her a chance in Starfleet. 

Ziegler   

By mentioning that name, Ives became the third name to give Vanya a chance.  Her doubts, still there, became tempered with resolve. 

“Thank you Sir”  She said.  She looked around at the other officers who had all accepted their assignments.  Like her, they were coming to terms with the changes to their lives.   “I can only succeed the Commander, I can’t replace him.  But he has built a good team.  None of us knew as much about anionic phase variance as he did, but if there is a scientific solution, our team will find it  Sir.”   

She looked at Ives.  They hadn’t gotten to know each other, and her difficulties with department heads and CO’s had made it difficult  for her to trust authority.  Yet, he had the loyalty of two of the people in her life that Vanya had been loyal to.  

“Captain Ziegler was the first CO who treated me like an officer, and not a threat or a scientific curiosity.    I can only hope to follow her example as someone worthy of your respect,  Sir.”  

She shot another glance at Stark.  This was going to be a most interesting tour of duty. 
Inhabiting my head are:

[Lt. Vanya |Assistant Science Officer| USS Theurgy]

[Lt. J.G Foval |Assistant Diplomatic Officer |USS Theurgy]

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #12 –
[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: All OOC, but also IC: @Ellen Fitz @Hope @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon
[Show/Hide]
They all accepted the offers made to lead their Departments respectively, and Jien was pleased to hear it. They gave their various comments, and as the Vanya spoke last, Jien remembered from yesterday evening that the Android had something that she wanted to speak with her privately about pertaining to the pending Romulan threat. She would simply ask her to remain after the meeting, for even though the visit to the Federation Embassy was a priority, Jien would make the time to hear what was on the Lieutenant's digital mind.

"Thank you, everyone, and as high as my expectations are - equal to that of the demands of our mission - I am confident you are the candidates to meet them," she said with a faint smile, coming to stand next to her chair. "Looking at your different service records, I do realise that a couple of you may be candidates for the bridge officer tests and a promotion eventually, but since you are recent additions to the crew, the decision of whether the time is due for that will be determined during your initial time of leading your Departments. Time has simply been too short to determine if that is due, but I look forward to evaluate your performance of the coming weeks. For now, you are free to contact Quartermaster Savali at your leisure to request new accommodations befitting your position aboard, and Thea is available for any other questions you may have. Ensign Henshaw?"

Jien looked towards her Yeoman at her duty station in the lounge. "That will be all. Thank you. Could you please prepare and send a message to all Departments with the information about these promotions?" she requested, before turning back to those seated at the table.

"Like Lieutenant Arnold implied, one of your first tasks will be to make sure you have two Assistant Chiefs reporting to you so that even if Thea was to be split into a long term MVAM assignment, both of the Vectors you wouldn't serve on will have someone leading in your absence. You will have access to personnel files and you ought to interview those you deem fitting candidates, and please report your choices to Commander Stark as soon as you've made them. Thea will be able to answer any other questions you may have, or she will be able to forward them to Stark and I. Thank you, again, and dismissed for now. Not you, Cross and Vanya. Please stay a moment."

Jien turned to Stark as the officers began to leave, having made her decision about the mission to Azurite Station. "Considering the approach of the Black Opal that we made... Please speak with crewman Samala about borrowing the Apache for the mission. I think it is imperative that the away team doesn't draw any unneeded attention, and they can infiltrate Azurite Station without being detected by any defence systems in place. A fighter escort could be spotted from lightyears away, regardless if they would use an ordinary Type-11 shuttle."

After Thea had left, pushing Ravenholm's anti grav chair out of the door in the wake of Arnold and Lail, Jien directed himself to the new Second Officer. "Please assemble a team for an infiltration mission. Stark can brief you about what we know. The Voice has agreed to take an away team to Azurite Station aboard the Erudite, and I would like for you to lead the team. Neither of us have fond memories from the Versant, but those days are in the past, and the rebel Savi have thus far proved to be reliable allies. The Erudite leaves at 1940 hours. Good luck, commander. Stark, will you fill him in?"

Having dismissed Henshaw, the new Senior Staff, Stark and Cross, only Vanya remained, and Jien turned to the Romulan Android with a small smile. "You told me you wished to speak with me privately yesterday, and I have a few minutes now, before I have to prepare the visit to the Embassy down on Qo'noS. What was on your mind?"

OOC: For this final posting order, I'd say 1) @BipSpoon , 2) @chXinya 3) @Hope 4) @uytrereee 5) @Brutus 6) @Ellen Fitz and then @Number6 . I will then trade a couple of posts with @Number6 to finish off the thread. Looking forward to the closing posts! :)

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #13 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @Hope @uytrereee @Number6 @Brutus
[Show/Hide]
The Yeoman looked to each of the new department heads as they accepted their positions. It was sobering to witness. It had been a sight she’d seen before. She hoped at least, it would be one of, if not the last. On her PADD, she updated the duty roster to reflect the known changes and took a deep breath. Truthfully, she was exhausted. She’d hardly slept. The sting of loss, violence, and lingering trauma was at the forefront her mind.

Arnold. Lail. Cross. Vanya. Really, it was only Vanya and Cross that she was at all familiar with. However, she knew she’d be working hand in hand with most of them, particularly the new arrival from the Oneida. “If I can do anything to assist any of you, please let me know.” She made certain to make eye contact with each one of them. Her hazel eyes took the time to take in each of them, study them, and in the way that only the training of a counselor could provide, offer her ear to them. Certainly she was no longer a counselor, but she didn't lack in empathy, and she needed it then more than ever. “In turn I would appreciate it if you keep me apprised of any important developments as well...as protocol permits, of course.” She shot a glance to Ives and then closed the open screen on her console. She had nothing further of note to add to the meeting. “Of course, Captain.” She bowed her head to Jien, giving the Captain a final appraising look. She was concerned. Not for the wellbeing of the ship or the Captain's ability to lead them. Instead, she was concerned for Jien as a person. As someone she cared for. While they had ended whatever had happened between them, she still did care, perhaps not in the way she once did, but her eyes made it evident that she did care

“Anything else, Captain?” She quirked a brow and stood tall, folding her hands behind her back with her PADD resting in her left hand. She’d waited for a reply briefly, before she turned to the exit and promptly returned to her station on the bridge. Her right hand swept through the awaiting hologram, which appeared as a pool of small blue particulates, and a small screen appeared before her. A notice for the crew. She swiped her headset from the console and put it on.

“Begin dictation.” The console chirped and a small block appeared, awaiting her first words. As she spoke, each word placed itself in the correct position for a memo, to be sent to the entire crew.

‘Now hear this: Lieutenant Commander Cross has been named second officer. Lieutenant Arnold has been named Chief Engineer. Lieutenant Vanya has been named Chief Science Officer. Lieutenant Lail has been named Chief CONN Officer. Report to new staff when prudent.’

It was short, and to the point. There was no point in rubbing the noses of the crew in the losses they had all suffered. The past weeks had been brutal, and filled with violence and death among comrades. She didn’t wish to remind them further. Once the message was sent, she began to work her way through duty reports from the battle...she had quite the heap of them. She only paused to briefly massage her forehead, and sip her coffee.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #14 –
[Selena Ravenholm | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Ellen Fitz @uytrereee @Number6 @BipSpoon

Selena returned Captain Ives’s smile of her own at the gratitude. More thoughts continued to race through her head, but they had already turned towards ideas on how to get Thea purring like a kitten for what was to come.  She hadn’t had a chance to test out the new port she’d had installed back on Aldea, the suddenness of the rush to Q’onos prevented such a frivolity, but now she might have to make it a priority.

Once Sickbay cleared her of course.  The last thing she wanted to do right now was to get on a doctor’s bad side.  The could quite literally ground her if she did.

Despite the kilometer a second pace her mind was racing at, Selena’s eye caught the nod Cross sent her way and she returned it with another smile and a thumbs up at his own promotion.  She hadn’t been able to work with him at all, at most they’ve bumped into each other in the corridors, but from everything she’d heard he’d stepped up to the plate every time.  The others all spoke in turn as they got their offers, true to their ideals no one declined.  Arnold gave the longest speech out of the bunch, but he probably spoke for a lot of people with it.  So many new faces to learn, some by choice, some by happenstance.  How none of them ended up racing for the nearest escape pod was a continual mystery to Selena, something she might have to do a write-up on when it’s all over.  FNN loved little feel-good stories like those.

As the meeting drew to a close Ives gave the new chiefs their first assignment: picking assistants.  Selena had one name pop into her head immediately, and for a moment she thought about submitting it, if only to see the reaction.  There was no reason whatsoever why Thea couldn’t work as an assistant chief for ops, it was her systems after all, no one else could ever know as much as she did about how they worked.  But alas, that probably wouldn’t fly.  Both of them would be on Vector 1 in the event of a separation, just as the first issue.  The second was that everyone else could nominate her as well.  Ah well, she was already loading the ops department manifest to a PADD, there were several Lieutenants that could easily take a vector when the time came.

Glancing up at Thea’s face above her, Selena grinned broadly and gave her a wink through the discomfort.  “So, any requests on what you’d want me to massage first?”

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #15 –
[ Lt Sabrina Lail | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan  @Ellen Fitz @uytrereee @chXinya @Number6 @Brutus @BipSpoon
[Show/Hide]

The meeting having drawn to a close so swiftly, Sabrina couldn’t help but wonder if this was a testament to the many times the Theurgy crew had gone through this somber experience. It wouldn’t have surprised her given the ship’s history but to see it first hand and wonder if you can become numb to it was a philosophical debate and Sabrina believed you could become numb to loss if you experience it enough. She pushed those thoughts aside as she was fortunate enough that her crew, or rather her previous crew, had all survived the events that transpired and her crew now was the one on the Theurgy that had survived. She had been given her first assignment by Captain Ives: complete the duty roster so that all three vectors would be fully staffed in the event of long-term separation.

Lail realized she would need to review the abilities of the CONN officers aboard to pick a satisfactory candidate and extend that pool if needed. Anyone, with training, could learn how to fly a starship but very few could do it with the finesse that separated the average CONN officer from the bold. Someone with the spark of potential that Donovan Bridges had. That’d be what she would be looking for.

As the Captain dismissed everyone except Cross, Vanya, and Stark, Sabrina shared in the passing glances as she stood up and filed out towards the access corridor leaving Provisional Lieutenant Selena Ravenholm in her wake. Like every helmsman, she had an insatiable curiosity to see the bridge where she’d be working while she was on deck one so she followed in the footsteps of Ensign Cameron Henshaw to arrive at the bridge.

Her brown eyes slowly took in the Theurgy’s bridge, subconsciously placing officers at their assigned stations. She had seen the bridge before through the looking glass of the Oneida’s view screen but the perspective was far more grandeur on the side of the looking glass she found herself on now. Sabrina looked over at Ensign Henshaw for a brief moment and saw she was quite busy. Well, I guess I will get the personnel files and mission reports from Thea, Lail thought to herself.

Sabrina walked across the bridge to a turbolift which was already parked on deck one as its doors had slid open when she walked in the proximity of the lift’s entrance. She stepped into the turbolift as the doors closed behind her, she turned on her heel. “Deck Ten,” Sabrina stated; receiving a familiar confirmation chirp. Sabrina leaned her slender frame against the turbolift walls and let out a sigh. “To find someone with the same potential as Donovan; it’s going to be a long day,” she said aloud where no one could hear her.

“Thea, transfer copies of the CONN department roster and personnel files to my personal workstation. Also copy over the most recent mission reports for each of them,” Lail said to the ship’s A.I. She was sure that would keep her busy for a while as she searched for a diamond in the rough which met her qualifications.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #16 –
[ Lieutenant Frank Arnold | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

((Just a short exit post))
Frank listened to the captain’s final remarks, and gave a curt nod when he had concluded. He would stand up from his chair, offer the appropriate salutation, and then, “I’ll begin assessing candidates. Immediately at least one comes to mind Captain, but I will work on recommendations in the coming weeks.” For Engineering it was incredibly important to have two assistants that were fully capable of operating independently. Was the Theurgy to split, and fight as a multivectored orientation, each chief would act as the chief of their vector. It was important that each was able to function without oversight for an extended period of time. Marika came to mind as a possible candidate, they’d have to talk given some time.
 
He gave passing thought to the idea of the bridge candidacy test, it was the natural progression for him from here. His predecessor had been a lieutenant commander, so room to grow further was there for him. However, his billet mattered more than a shiny black pip. He now had responsibility for the entirety of the Theurgy’s engineers, in a time of massive transition, and not to mention the gargantuan work load they had to come.
 
When they were dismissed, he offered again, as he had when he’d arrived, “Captain, First Officer” and with that he turned for the door. As he strode out, his chest remained held high, even with the pressing mantle of responsibility on his shoulders. If nothing else, this was a great honor to be handed to him, except it came at a bitter cost. There was much to address, the flock needed a shepherd, and right or wrong, Frank had been appointed. He offered a passing glance to Cameron as he exited the room, taking one more chance to admire her features, before he stepped out of the room, and into a new realm of responsibility.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #17 –
 [Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Quarters of the Executive Officer  | Deck 10 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Number6 @Auctor Lucan  
[Show/Hide]

One by one, Natalie watched as Captain Ives made their offers to what were about to be the newly promoted department heads to fill in the missing gaps in the chain of command and the over all organizational structure for the USS Theurgy. In so far as Natalie was concerned, these were men and women who had earned their spots. And frankly, she would be kidding herself if she could pretend that there were other candidates out there. These were the best the ship had on hand. That she had confidence in them was good, because there was not much other choice to be had.

Having suffered through the bridge officer training in a form of trial by fire, not to mention some of the nasty training scenario's that then Commander Carrigan Trent had cooked up based on his own failed experiences as a ships commander during the Dominion War, Natalie wasn't sure she envied any of those potential prospects the tests that would be thrown at them. Then, she realized that when the time came, she would likely be the one running those test. Crap. I should see if those files are still on hand, she thought to herself, missing some of what was next said, about setting up quarters with the CPO Savali for the new department heads, many of whom now qualified for nicer accommodations than their current. Though she supposed that as Tactical Department head already, Lt. Commander Cross, at least, would not have to worry about filling out any more paperwork related to accommodations.

As she well knew, all the Second Officer position got you was more work and a bit of job satisfaction.

Stark would have final overview of any purposed candidates for Assistant Department Chiefs, but she couldn't really foresee a situation in which she would recommend against a suggested posting. All the same, she gave the assembled group of new Department heads her best smile. "I know some of you are new to your ow respective departments. If you need any help sorting through the rosters, or need recommendations, please do not hesitate to come find me. And don't feel restricted to your own department, if there is a true need to pull from another closely aligned division we may very well be able to work something out."

Turning back to the Captain, she listened as Ives laid out their decisions related to the necessary mission to the Azurite station. They both knew that the [i[Theurgy[/i] had to send an away team. The station was not the sort of threat they could let linger in the long term, and capitalizing on the support of the Savi to get their people there was key. Natalie found Ives logic sound - not that she was about to go questioning her captains' decisions, first day on the job of XO - and gave a terse node. She knew of the crewman, though she had not yet had any real experience with the young woman. Still, Samala would be the pilot of the vessel, given it belonged to her, and she was a certified pilot. 

"Aye Captain. I'll arrange time with the crewman to bring her up to speed on the situation. Once we have a base plan I'll hold a briefing for the whole team and we'll see what they can collectively come up with prior to the mission launch." In the mean time she would order the shuttle bay crews to spin up whatever minor repairs the craft in question might need, as well as start assembling basic expedition supplies. The sooner that got underway, the better. She knew Ives would want to launch that mission as swiftly as they could, to conform to whatever time tables their allies might be constrained with in turn.

It was with that in mind that she bade farewell to those that were leaving the room, letting her eyes linger on the remaining officers: Ives, Cross and Vanya.

With her hands clasped behind her back, Natalie listened as Ives ordered Cross to take lead on the mission to the station. A reasonable choice, and one she was personally grateful for. Given her own unpleasant experience with the Niga Virus, Natalie was in no great rush to see the place at which it had been created. She'd be tempted to blast the thing from orbit, and to hell with whatever intel could have been gained by going in on foot. Glad that this particular cup had been passed over, she spared a glance and the briefest of smiles toward Cross, Natalie nodded to Captain Ives. "Yes ma'am. I'll give him the run down."

Though she was curious as to what Vanya and Ives were about to discuss, she knew that Ives would fill her in if the need arose. Or, equally likely, she'd find out about it from Vanya later, provided there wasn't a damn good reason for Natalie not to know[/i]. That was going to be an interesting dynamic to work out going forward, now that Natalie was technically Vanya's immediate superior. Damn, I do not want to think about those regs now.

Aloud, she simply addressed the Tactical Chief. 'Come along commander,we'll go put that new office of mine to use and see if we can't come up with a plan for your mission to the Azurite station. We've got a lot to go over and only 11 hours till we launch." With that, Natalie led Cross away from the lounge, leaving the Captain and Vanya alone to discuss matters best left private.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #18 –
[Cmdr. Cross | Quarters of the Executive Officer  | Deck 10 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Brutus @Number6 @Auctor Lucan  

Cross stood alongside Stark, position mirroring hers, as they waited for their cue to leave. Reflecting on the various promotions and changes offered and accepted in this room, Cross couldn't help but give a firm nod, mostly to himself. They were all fine crewmen, and even outside of the desperate times in which they found themselves, each one a worthy candidate for promotion. Cross was proud to serve alongside them all. Even the ones that he initially grated against or who still viewed him as a ticking time bomb, thanks to the fucking Savi and their "fix."

Cross snapped to greater attention when Ives turned her attention fully upon him. The others were trickling out as duty bid them. The Captain first spoke of the mission to Azurite Station, directing her comments to Stark, before shifting in form and attention to Cross. Cross couldn't help the crinkle in his brow or curve of disgust in his lip at the thought of sharing space with Savi, even if these particular Savi were the "good guys" in the grand scheme of the chaotic mess they were living. Ives must've noticed his less than enthusiastic initial response with additional comments about the Versant. Successfully chastised back into remembering his position as Second Officer with the mission a priority over his own personal feelings, Cross nodded to the Captain.

"Yessir."

Turning to Stark, Cross caught the brief smile from the First Officer and returned one in kind as he walked beside her toward the door. Her sarcastic remarks elicited a genuine smile from the Vulcan as she led him from the lounge. Hours spent working on a mission were far preferable to hours spent contemplating the potential fucking mess he'd made of his personal life.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #19 –
[ Lieutenant Vanya | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy]  attn @Auctor Lucan

Vanya bit her lip as the Captain asked her to explain herself.   It was difficult to go back there, she had sincerely hoped that she had seen the back of this kind of nonsense.   It would appear that she had been wrong.   But if it meant giving Theurgy more of a fighting chance, she was ready to be pulled back in

“Sir, under normal circumstances, it’s a court martial offence for me to tell you this.   However, I am not betraying any serious security issues.   So here goes.”  

She sighed and started her story.  

“Not long after I started on the Cayuga, I was contacted by an agent of Starfleet intelligence.   He told me that they had found a distress signal from a Tal Shiar agent that was from the project that created me, and I was ordered to help him intercept the asset and bring them to the Federation,   It was a lie.   He was a Romulan agent that had infiltrated the Federation. "  

She looked at the Captain, realising how ridiculous this story sounded, and that it would get even more weird.   She continued.   “We arrived on an isolated rock used by criminals,  but the signal actually came from a group run by an individual claiming to be the Romulan Empress.  It's dubious claim at best.  Politely, she is a pirate, menacing the Empire on its borders to scratch out enough to feed the people who have followed her.   She wanted to duplicate me so that she had an army to conquer Romulus.”  


She sighed.  “I quickly deduced that she was at risk from this plot as much as I was.   My captor could have rendered me inert as soon as we left Federation space, but he wanted me in one piece.    The long and short of it was that her lieutenant wanted her dead    So by being delivered to the Empress, then apparently dying in an explosion that killed us both I would be killed on an unsanctioned mission with Romulan dissidents.   However, because I worked everything out, I earned the respect of the Empress.   She even offered me a place in her court.  Meanwhile, the liLieutenant would inherit her army” 

She realised what a tall tale it was, but she also knew that it was an avenue worth following.   “After I returned to the Cayuga, the incident was classified, I was sworn to secrecy, an oath I take seriously.   But we’re not exactly in Starfleet’s chain of command and I think the “Empress” such as she is, might be a useful ally.   She may be a criminal, but she is protecting her people, those who followed her father and her.   If she is out there, she might help us.    I think its an avenue worth considering.”  


It was a tall tale   She hadn’t thought about the Empress in a long while.   The Romulan pirate seemed to be a pragmatist, and if the Theurgy was making inroads into Romulus, they could do with all the help they could get.  
Inhabiting my head are:

[Lt. Vanya |Assistant Science Officer| USS Theurgy]

[Lt. J.G Foval |Assistant Diplomatic Officer |USS Theurgy]

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #20 –
[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Number6
[Show/Hide]
It was indeed quite a tale, and Jien had come to stand by the viewports while he listened. At the end of it, he surmised that Vanya had disclosed her adventure to Starfleet authorities already, and that she had been ordered to keep the information about what she'd undergone a secret.  The concerns was, of course, that the Infested likely knew about what had happened in that case.

"I had no idea the Star Empire housed another empress that pre-dates Empress Donatra," Jien said with a tight-lipped smile, wondering how much help this lesser 'Empress' might grant them. "What can you tell me about this pirate empress that approached you. Can she truly be of aid in our mission?"

It was the obvious question, which Jien posed when he turned to face the Romulan android in the conference lounge. "I don't understand why the double agent that took you beyond the Romulan Neutral Zone wasn't killed by this pirate leader you visited when you told her that he meant to kill her. Why would he be inheriting her army? Speaking of which, what number of ships does she have under her command, and can she truly be trusted? It sounds to me like she would just be serving her own needs and that of her dissidents rather than trying to serve a greater good."

Jien was also worried about the prospect of Vanya being duplicated to create an army.

"At least tell me that she didn't get what she wanted, because a pirate building an army of androids would not be in Starfleet's best interest..."

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #21 –
[ Lt. Vanya| Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
@Auctor Lucan

Vanya realised that she had made a potentially fatal mistake.   The thing that she had learned in a life of subterfuge, was that these occurrences weren’t normal for everyone.   Not even Starfleet Captains.   She listened to his views carefully, and tried her best to ease his concerns.  

“No, she didn’t succeed.”   Vanya said.  “My matrix is multitronic.    In basic terms, creating a stable multitronic matrix is harder than creating a working positronic one.    Creating one takes something beyond technical competence, its artistry not even I possess that skill, and trust me, Sir, I have been trying in my off hours.      I researched the Cardassian scientist that was trying to create me.   I have known amateurs that are better cybernetics experts than him.   Even if he had succeeded in taking me apart, he’d have achieved nothing but killing me.”
She realised that she was creating mistrust against herself.    She needed to prove herself and soon, otherwise she was risking her  being put off the ship.  

“I am not sure about the legitamcy of her claim to the throne.”   She continued.     “Officially, her father was considered mad.    You could drink a few crates of Saurian Brandy, pull down your pants, and and in front of Starfleet headquarters, proclaim yourself the C and C of Starfleet, but it doesn’t  mean you’ll be invited to morning briefings with the president… Sir”   She added, realising her metaphor was somewhat colourful.   “ But, pull up your pants, share the booze with enough disillusioned people, tell the right truths, make the right promises, they start to believe the big lie more and more, or at least that you would be better at the job than the person in charge right now.   She had loyal people, but the list was getting shorter, that’s why she wanted android troops.”   

She understod Ives' position, but she had her own.   Duped, lied to and put at risk.   If some small good could come out of it, for her ship then it had to be worth a shot.  

“Sir, this woman wanted her scientist to take me apart.   If she wasn’t being played by a traitor who wanted her throne for himself,  she may well have succeeded.   I won her respect when I worked things out.    She might have three ships, she might have thirty, but If she is a possible ally should we look her up?   She let me live because I saved her life – while trying to save my own.   She may be an ally, she may not.   But it might be a lead”  

She knew it was a big ask, she had laid everything on the line.   She hated the political games, and thought she had left it behind her.   And yet, once again, she was compelled to take part
Inhabiting my head are:

[Lt. Vanya |Assistant Science Officer| USS Theurgy]

[Lt. J.G Foval |Assistant Diplomatic Officer |USS Theurgy]

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #22 –
[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Number6
[Show/Hide]
Lieutenant Vanya's suggestion made a lot of sense, since any ally they could find behind the Romulan border might be an ace up their sleeve. Jien contemplated what she'd proposed, the fact that this pirate empress might not be the ethical choice of bedfellows in the pending war. They knew nothing about her methods or her track record yet, but the fact that she led Romulan pirates said a great deal about this figure's moral compass. There was no way of knowing before they made some discrete inquiries, however, so Jien was disinclined to immediately turn down the proposal to - at least - run some due diligence on her history before contemplating any means of contact with her.

"Very well," he said after having finished his contemplation of the matter. "If this woman has any means of helping us, go through her background and all documented activity her faction has been connected to. We should be careful about whom we ally ourselves with, and I know how ironic that sounds since we are working together with the Savi, and before they attacked the Cayuga, the Asurians helped us at Starbase 84. We are not as desperate for aid as we were before the Battle of the Apertures, when we were just a single ship against all odds, always on the run."

Pausing, Jien looked at Vanya where she stood, thinking about Ziegler, and wherever she might be at. He wondered if his former First Officer had actually managed to escape the prison transport together with the remains of her crew. He had literally just got thirty seconds to talk to her in the Azure Nebula, before they detonated the Omega device, and he wondered if Anya - or her Chief Science Officer at the time - held the Theurgy somewhat accountable for the Asurian attack. A jailbreak had been sprung by the Asurian commander, resulting in many dead officers on the Cayuga, including Ziegler's first officer, Commander West.

"While I have asked any news about Ziegler to be sent to me... I am guessing you are also looking for updates about her and your old crew, don't you?" Jien asked the Romulan android quietly. They had Ziegler in common, and perhaps, it was just because of Anya that the android had chosen to continue the fight aboard the Theurgy.

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #23 –
[ Lt. Vanya| Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]  attn: @Auctor Lucan

Vanya listened    It was going to take some research, but she new a few back channels she might be able to look into.   Any sign of the Empress may prove useful in the this war, although it wasn't the risk to end up in some labratory bin.     

“I agree.   Its not worth risking the ship over, but if they are true to their word,  a trust worthy ally is a good ally.   She almost had her Cardassian flunkie try to take me apart.   On the other hand, when I exposed the conspiracy against her, she let me go.   I am under no illusions, the wind may again have changed and she wants to see what makes me tick.”  Vanya didn’t want to deal with the stranger outside of a viewscreen, prefably with maximum communication range separating them.

The conversation turned to the Cayuga.  Vanya rubbed her arm instinctivly.   Her heart stung for her former posting, although its return might bring a couple of complications to her personal, and professional life.      “I would be dishonest if I said I hadn’t been looking for clues, Sir.    The Cayuga was the first place, other than my Academy room, where I felt at home and not something to be tolerated, feared or gawked at.     I have come to see Theurgy in the same way.   But if we are ever able to find them, it would be a joy.   Such things are still all to rare no matter how many allies we get “    She reflected on the choice she would have to make if Cayuga did turn up safely.   It would lead to a bitter sweet choice – closing a door on her past, for her new life, but for all of her friends, including Captain Ziegler to be alive, it would be a choice she would be only too happy to make.    
Inhabiting my head are:

[Lt. Vanya |Assistant Science Officer| USS Theurgy]

[Lt. J.G Foval |Assistant Diplomatic Officer |USS Theurgy]
 

Re: Day 01 [0800 hrs.] Active Recovery

Reply #24 –
[ Captain Ives | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Number6
[Show/Hide]
Jien nodded at the android's comment, and he looked out the viewport and the surface of Qo'noS.

"Ziegler is a resourceful woman, and if there is any way for her and the survivors of the Cayuga's crew to join the fray anew, she will," Jien said, hoping that Vanya would be able to see her friends among her old crew again one day. "Anderson is already looking for them, having promised to keep me appraised about any findings he makes in regard to the whereabouts of Ziegler and her crew. So far, he has not reported any sightings, and I believe him. Ziegler has no way of knowing that the Head of Covert Ops at Starfleet Intelligence is on our side, so any manner of contact he tries to make - however subtle - won't be trusted. If I were Ziegler, knowing that the threat of the Infested is real, I would have no reason to trust any Admiral out of Starfleet Headquarters."

Sighing lightly, Jien ran a hand through his hair. "I think the only way Ziegler would open communications with anyone would be is we told them it was safe to do so. Up until yesterday, Ziegler wouldn't even know where we were. Now that our coordinates here in the Qo'noS Sector is spread far and wide - given the battles of yesterday and Martok's transmission of the the real Simulcast - perhaps Ziegler may reach out to us in some way."

- FIN
 
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