Star Trek: Theurgy

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #25 – June 06, 2017, 05:35:29 AM

[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Fighter Assault Bay Briefing Room | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ]
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Dev and Vinnie stood, elbow to elbow, with some of the other White Wolf fighter pilots. The past hours were becoming a blur of activity, as the Theurgy struggled to regroup from the events of the battle. It was becoming clear to Devyrie, from the briefing with the new head of the Lone Wolves squad, to the assembly here, that Captain Ives was not what they were portrayed to be.

Her arms folded against her chest gave her a look of defiance, that probably wasn't the best message to convey. Seeing the recording, however, her normally stoic face bore a look of shock. She was not fully unprepared, due partially to the horror stories she found out in old Romulan data rods. But, this was... unsettling. Her feet shuffled, trying to quiet the unease spreading through her. The voice of the infected Ensign would likely haunt her dreams.

The mention of temporal mechanics and the arrival of a fighter, which caused more of stir, gave her a bit of a reprieve. The temporal mechanics talk was winding in to conversations that Dev could follow better. It was a simple concept from science really-that by observing where an electron was you altered it's position and path. So it was with time. Those who came back in time simply altered the position of time.

"I think I actually followed that last part," said Vinnie Ferris at her side.

"That's a first." Slowly, they scooted closer to the rest of the former Orcus pilots, trying to get a better view of the new fighter. Most of the pilots were suckers for new tech, and shared an affinity for learning their capabilities. "We'll have to get the SCO to let us check that out."

But the futuristic warp fighter was not at the forefront of Devyrie's thoughts. No, it was all the new pieces she and Vinnie got. The pieces to the puzzle that might confirm the Theurgy crew's innocence. Acreth, the fighter, the theories about the enemy, and what the objective of the enemies was, it all could fit a theory about why someone in Starfleet had instigated a pending war with her native people beyond the RNZ. It was like the puzzle was finished in parts, but as of yet, she had not learned how it all fit together with what her father had sent her about the operative Auroto and the contact Aidoaan.

Dev knew she had to reserve judgement until she learned more. Now, however, she was more optimistic about coming aboard the Theurgy. Chances were she had been right in following Terror aboard, and that she had not put her RIO at risk in convincing him to trust her on what her father had sent her.

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #26 – June 06, 2017, 10:47:17 PM

[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 ]

There was talk, and Suq payed peripheral attention to it. No way to leave, no way to detect the parasites, time travel is now a thing. What he really focused on was the bombshell that just waltzed into his vision. Beautiful, in every sense of the word. He stood up on his tip toes to try to see more of her, and concluded she was exactly his type. Fully armored, powerful, no visible weak points, godlike. If only he could get his hands on her, learn more about her, see what makes her tick. The only flaw Suq could name was that there was some kind of human woman in the way of this beautiful Reaver and he wished she would leave so he could get a better view.

Coming back down to Efros, Suq realized he had missed some important bits. Mainly, that this ship was supposed to be from the future. The future, by the spirits--the potential that could bring. Analysis of material composition alone could create massive breakthroughs in Starship engineering. Wouldn't it be nice to be the very engineer responsible...?
He knew of temporal mechanics. He was certainly no expert, but many parts of the conspiracy underworld dabbled in enough temporal sciences for him to know the basics. This ship seemed to represent a split timeline, meaning any choice made now could be totally meaningless, or immeasurably important. Maybe, he thought, maybe I shouldn't ask about analyzing her. After all, I'm sure somebody might've already tried.

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #27 – June 07, 2017, 08:57:47 PM

[ Ens. Derik Veradin |  Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ]
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Derik stood silent through the proceedings. He let every piece of news and fresh emotion was into him like the waves on a beach. He could not allow himself to get caught up in any one of them right now, or else he might lose his emotional fitting and break down. He let it hit him, he recognized it and stuffed it down out of his conscience to deal with later. This was something he was used to doing now. The official news about Captain Kendrick though, that was hard to deal with. He didn’t realize he was clenching his fists until he felt the pain of his nails digging into his palm.

The news almost broke his composure. It did feel like losing a parent. The man who had promised them over and over that he’d get them home, that had protected them, pushed them, supported them, was gone. He closed his eyes as he felt tears begin to form. Not now, he berated himself, the day isn’t over yet, you can collapse and let go when you get your quarters assignment.

When he opened his eyes and regained his composure, the meeting had moved on. They met other members of the Theurgy senior crew and they watched the video of Acreth that the Resolve crew was shown in the conference room earlier. His mind told him to doubt the information, but something in his gut rang true. The actions of this crew, both in doing as least harm as possible, rescuing the Resolve crew, their dedication to their cause, all of it rang through.

The talk of the temporal rifts and what everyone was implying went mostly over Derik’s head, though the sonic boom analogy helped, as a pilot he understood that.

For better or for worse, this was his home, and their fight was his fight.

---

[ Sera vers Aldnoah ]
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Sera had also been privy to the recording back up in the conference room with the members of the Resolve. She, like Jack, was skeptical, but the circumstantial evidence did seem to weigh in favor of Captain Ives. She stood close to Jack, still one of the only people she knew on board the ship, and took in those around her. She had been relieved of her steel baton when she was beamed here, something she was not thrilled with, especially after her energy weapons had been confiscated and taken, and now lost, on Starbase 84. That rifle was an especially expensive loss.

She and Jack had more or less decided to stay here on the Theurgy, for now. She needed to talk with either Captain Ives or this Commander Trent about her place aboard and what freedoms and responsibilities she might have. She had a few bargaining chips including some maps and firsthand experience in the Azure Nebula. She could help them gather some resources they might otherwise miss while they were here, if they allowed her to help anyway. She, in return, would gain powerful allies in the crew and their warship. While she doubted anyone had had time to make formal reports of her crimes aboard the Starbase, especially following the warp core explosion, she was mostly a free woman and was someone that the Theurgy could use for espionage, diplomatic, or trade missions, as she wouldn’t be immediately recognized by Starfleet security scanners and their facial recognition software.

She also remained silent during the presentation. She didn’t fully believe their story, yet, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t work with them.

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #28 – June 11, 2017, 06:37:48 PM

[ Lt.Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ]

Natalie had been granted a scant 15 minutes to leave the bridge and then return to  join the rest of the mixed senior staff to enter the Fighter Assault Bay and address the refugees from the Resolve and the Orcus and bring them up to speed on the mission that lay before them. And on the sacrifice of Captain Tristan Kendrick. She had, in turn, practically bolted down the corridor after she left the bridge lift, making a bee line for her quarters. After the intense  past few hours, and then her stint in the command chair after the battle - she felt wrung out, and haggard. Even if she didn't look it.

Not enough time, she thought, for a proper shower. It had been a quick one and done with the sonics, and a fast change of uniform - pausing only long enough to snag that skirt variant instead of the longer pants. Impractical when crawling about a Jefferires tube but good for putting on a show of authority - and shapely legs. Maybe she just needed the confidence boost in the wake of the battle.

Now, she stood in line with the rest of the mixed senior officers, having singled the Captain, and watching Billy Bob step up to speak. She knew most of her department would be working with the battered chief to help put their lady back to rights. Ops and Engineering really did go hand in hand often enough. If she didn't have the whole department to run, she'd be right in the thick of it too. And who knew? Maybe she would anyway. A somber thought, looking out over the crowd of confused men and women (and other such genders) trying to keep calm and collected.

How would they react to a ships AI that was treated like a person, she wondered, as Thea briefly manifested next to Billy Bob. She managed a small smile, just a curl of her lips, for the hologram, there and gone again. From that point the parade continued, through the stern Sec Chief's admonishments to the new crew, and back to the Captain. As ever, the woman's words drew in Natalie. For her, at least, there was no question of the path they were put upon. Natalie would follow wherever Ives lead.

Her devotion left her feeling hollow hatred at the recording that aired before them all. She did her best to shift her gaze from it, to the assembled masses. Judging, assessing, looking for threats. That was Cinn's job, and yet here she was doing so as well. A mere three months ago, it wouldn't have crossed her mind. These were her brothers and sisters in the Fleet. But now? Funny how three months can change a person.

At least she kept the snarl off her face, the anger, instead of shock, that she felt and suppressed.

And then the questioning began. She shouldn't have been surprised at the outburst, and yet...she was. But Ives handled it smoothly, and she felt a tension slip from her shoulders. That would take some analysis later. Possibly at the bottom of a glass of that ruby red wine she'd had weeks before.  The display of the Reaver drew her thoughts away from the end of everything and back to the task at hand however, and once again she let her gaze sweep over the crowd.

Evidence of Temporal Incursions directly in front of the group did a lot, Natalie imagined, to lend credibility to what followed. Even if she herself still had trouble wrapping her mind around it all. She had to admit that the more vocal junior officer - clearly, a skeptic - had as good analogy as any for the temporal mess they were in. She'd yet to hear Moralli offer up a better explanation. Then again, he was...damaged goods. He wasn't even present here. She'd heard Ives chat briefly with Trent about the Temporal Agent, having been checked over by a medic, was locked way in his lab working through the ramification's and babbling about forks. The time based one's, she assumed.

Regardless, she thought about stepping up to speak, to introduce herself as well, but at this point, there was nothing for her to contribute, nothing worth while to add. Yet. Her time might come. Or, she thought to herself, her task may simply be to stand there and project unity and calm. If she didn't feel it herself, she could fake it now, at least. This, she could do for her Captain, and the newcomers.

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #29 – June 14, 2017, 11:49:10 PM

[ Commander Carrigan Trent | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All

As information was being presented, Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Dewitt approached the Theurgy's senior staff and their former counterparts from the Resolve, and she made her way to the XO, PADD in hand.  Politely, she cleared her throat and touched his elbow.  When he turned around, he took the offered device and offered a nod, but she remained there, waiting for new instructions after he'd review the basic headers.

Dewitt was new to the adjutant business, but in the short time she'd been working with Trent, she had learned he preferred concise briefs, and to be brought salient points first.  At the top of the list were possible senior staff appointments for his review and forwarding to the Captain, followed by initial departmental and section reports across the ship following the action at Starbase 84.  And one of them in particular was highlighted for him to look at.  The Torpedo section report had been properly filed in to Arisaka, and in good time at that; but it had not been submitted by Lieutenant Carson; instead, it bore Chief Petty Officer Hirrentz release authorization.  A quick further review showed that it was, in effect, an exemplary report save for the fact that it hadn't come from the section officer.  "Thank you, Jennifer," he quietly replied.  "I'll address those other matters, but I need you to see Chief Hirrentz and find out exactly why he's the one who filed that report."

"Aye Sir," she acknowledged before withdrawing.

As the floor was opened, Trent first turned his attention to the Resolve senior staff.  "Commander Martin, Commander Marquez, Lieutenant Keval, once this meeting is adjourned I will need a few moments of your time to discuss your roles on this ship."  As usual, the XO's tone was unfailingly polite and quiet as ever.  However, there was little there to indicate that, even as politely couched his words were, that it was a suggestion.  But then, he stepped back up towards the assembled crew on the flight deck, and he addressed them.

"Despite our circumstances, this ship is run as a Starfleet vessel.  The Captain and I fully expect everyone to abide by Starfleet regulations, modes of address, standards and discipline.  Granted, regulations on intimacy and fraternization have been slightly relaxed.  But make no mistake, on this ship consent is something we take extremely seriously.  No means no, and anyone found taking advantage of a fellow member of this crew will find themselves answering for it in no uncertain ways."  For a few heartbeats, he let his words hang in the air before continuing.  "Second, I understand some of you are displeased about being disarmed, and I know some of you are thinking of doing something about it; let me point out our Chief of Security is former Bajoran Resistance, which means if there is anyone on board who is better equipped to sniff out weapons of any sort where they're not supposed to be, it is him; especially with Thea and our internal sensors to back him.  Do not test this.  Thirdly, we appear to have an internal security issue with members of the crew having deified our temporal affairs specialist; as such, if you come across any suspicious activities, you will report them to your superiors or to Security.  And this also goes for other members of the Resolve crew attempting to smuggle or assemble weapons, and a willful failure to report such things will be considered complicity.  And lastly,"

He took another deep breath, letting his earlier words sink in, and creating a pause before his next ones.  "I will absolutely not tolerate anyone trying to create any kind of 'us and them' climate on this ship.  I understand a certain kinship, but anything beyond this will leave the culprits answering to me."

"Are there any questions?"

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #30 – June 16, 2017, 04:35:02 AM

[ Doctor Hayden O'Connor|  Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy]

Hayden was exhausted. Of course, that wasn't anything new for her or even for the rest of the crew after everything they'd been through, but leading up to recent events, there had been a sense of hope and anticipation. There was no question this mission would be dangerous and there was no question people with lose their lives in the fight to get the truth out, but the hope was, if any degree of luck was on their side, their message would soon be out and somehow, all of their losses and their suffering wouldn't be in vain. This was the day that was supposed to turn the tide in their favor.

Of course, O'Connor didn't fully realize how much she depended on that hope until she emerged into the chaos of the infirmary and realized in addition to a deep wariness that came with any battle, there was also an underlying sense of melancholy that frankly, Hayden hadn't observed in a very long time. Hayden hadn't been completely out of the loop, naturally, but she had been so focused on making sure Hylota's labor went smoothly any potential offspring were kept alive, that she hadn't been able to fully process just how badly things had gone wrong.

There was a particularly surreal quality to the experience, in fact, as she emerged from the isolation ward and saw the carnage the battle had wrought. She had been so caught up in the joy and anticipation of new life that standing there now felt like the equivalent of crashing back to earth after soaring to untold heights. In the isolation ward, there had definitely been fear, but in the midst of all that was happening, there had also been hope and joy that at times seemed no match for the darkness.

All she wanted to do now was sleep, but as word filtered to her, she knew she wasn't going to be able to do that. They had taken on survivors from the Resolve, and the Captain and the  of the senior staff were addressing them in the Fighter Assault Bay. Hayden needed to be there, not just because as Chief Counselor, it fell to her offer comfort and reassurance to the survivors, but also because in the face of such loss, Hayden needed to be of use, to offer help, and to feel as if she could make a difference somewhere. In the face of such difficult times, it was entirely in O'Connor's maternal nature to draw people closer to her, and in that moment she could think of nothing more she'd rather do than help draw the crew together.

It was an emotional drive that allowed her to put one foot in front of the other as she made her way to the Fighter Assault Bay to greet the weary faces before her. As she listened to Ives and others speak, she watched the faces of those before her. In so many ways, she could identify with their shock and sadness as if it were yesterday, and yet, in others, it felt like a lifetime ago. Their former captain had died sacrificing himself. Her former captain had been corrupted. Even so, she still felt his loss, and an irrational part of her couldn't help but wonder why she had failed to see the truth before it was too late.

She listened carefully, and although she understood all of the information needed to be offered, she expected it to be a bit overwhelming for all of them to take in given the shock of all they'd been through. She stepped forward to speak, motivated by a desire to help calm that confusion more than any planned words. "My name is Doctor Hayden O'Connor. I am the Chief Counselor for the Theurgy, formerly a member of the USS Harbinger. I want to add my condolences for the loss of your Captain and your fallen crew. I don't pretend to understand exactly what all of you are feeling right now and I won't pretend that my condolences will do anything to ease the sense of loss and trauma you've all just experienced, but if you hear nothing else of what I say, please hear this: You are not alone, and whatever decision you make in the future, whether you go or stay, know you will always be part of the Theurgy family."

She looked out at the group, trying to make eye contact with as many people as she could. "We are not a perfect family and I won't deny we still bear the wounds of all we've endured, but I don't think any one of us would disagree that our pain has been more bearable because we've reached out one another and done our best to talk about the things weigh on our hearts . We all share a common goal as well as common struggles, and in our commonality, we have drawn strength from one another. I understand you will all manage your feelings differently, and as much as I obviously believe in the power of counseling to help ease certain burdens, I recognize not all of you are comfortable with people in my profession for various reasons. I'm not asking you to come to me or the people in my department if you're not ready or willing, but I am asking for all of you to be kind to yourselves and others in the face of what you've been through, and to avoid coping in ways that leave you feeling isolated and more depleted than you already are. It’s natural to want to avoid feelings as much as possible after trauma and loss, but more often than not, the more we try to suppress these feelings, the stronger they emerge and overwhelm us.  Try not to fight this.  Acknowledge your feelings, express them.  Support one another.

In the coming days, I expect each of you will at first reach out to the people you know best for comfort. They are the people you trust, and I understand there is safety in that. It is my hope that over time, you will come to see all of us as people you can reach out to for solace as well. Do not be afraid to talk about your experiences before you joined us.  You are here now, but I would never expect you to instantly see yourselves as a member of the Theurgy and to forget your experiences or your Capttain.  For what it's worth, from the moment you all came aboard the Theurgy, in my mind, and in my heart, you became members of my crew, not outsiders who just happened to come aboard." She smiled when she offered, "that may sound like the epitome of counselor sappiness, but that's truly how I feel. Numbness, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sadness, nightmares and even flashbacks are all to be expected in the coming days and weeks. These are normal reactions to trauma, and if they persist or get worse, please, please, don't hesitate to reach out to myself or a member of the counseling staff. There is no shame in it and more than that, we will all need to be at our best if together we are to face our challenges. I'm here for all of you, anytime, whatever you need."

Re: Chapter 01: Nebula Entry | Day 01 [1900 hrs.]

Reply #31 – June 21, 2017, 12:33:47 PM

[ CPO Liam Herrold | Crowd in Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Triage
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Hearing all that had been said, Liam Herrold didn't know what to think. He had left K'Ren in Sickbay so that he might attend the briefing, but as more and more things were being revealed, he wondered how he could ever tell Neko all of this without her thinking he'd gone insane. He didn't feel he was in any position to question anything, but for him, the deciding factor had been when they rolled out the Reaver.

Liam, having worked on the fighters in the Valkyrie program since the Mk I, could easily tell that the craft and the weapons mounted on them were so far remote from anything the Federation shipyards could muster. While he had been away since 2378 on the Resolve, three years did not account for the kind of tech before his eyes. Added with everything else, the cold realisation had settled that things might just be as bad as the Captain named Ives said they were.

"Howdy! Don't s'ppose repairs're bein' done t'mah baby? The big honkin' shuttle with weapons all over it? 'less ya got another birdie lyin' around, Ah'm a pilot, and Ah belong in some flyin' machine."

Blinking, Liam turned around, and saw recognition in Meony's face as soon as he did. Even if she hadn't recognised him at first, Liam was glad to see she was okay, and found himself smiling to her. When he spoke, his words were more hushed than Tancredi's. "Figured you'd make it, then again, you always do. Glad to see you, Meony," he said and then raised his eyebrows in thought, "No idea, but I have been asking around as much as I can," he said to her, piecing together the hearsay he had. "I think they have not completed damage assessments on the crafts that were in the battle just yet, but even if the Flayer can't be repaired, I hear they have Mk II Valkryies aboard, and even a couple of those new Mk IIIs. You might just get your wings back!"

After all, as formidable as the Fuzzy Flayer had been (when it didn't glitch on her), it didn't have any wings.

"If you do get a fighter again, and in my interest to keep you alive too... make sure you don't bust your new bird this time, eh?"

He realised he had to tell her about Erik Randall too, but the briefing continued, and he turned back to listen.

---

[ Captain Jien Ives | Podium in Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
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Two things that had been said lingered in Jien's thoughts after she fell silent. They caused her to want to change form, still feeling moored to her current appearance and wanting to change, to refresh and to move on. Yet in order to not distract the crew before her, she remained a woman where she stood, stoically not letting the two troubling things said get to her.

The first thing was how the Science Officer with the Klingon heritage had said the changes were impossible to fix. While the timing of his comment - right in the wake of her trying to incite hope in the crowd and saying she believed it could be done - was horrendous, and she wasn't at all impressed with how he virtually undermined her word without any kind of respect to the situation at hand and the need to keep the crew from giving up, she hoped he was wrong. Theoretically, he could be, even if the chance was - indeed - almost impossible. The right kind of change in the past could result in a cascade effect. Despite his typical know-it-all scientist disposition, his explanation - however - had been sound, and Jien chose not to make any further comment on the issue... even if it lingered with her.

The second thing had been when Marquez spoke of the eye-to-eye encounter with Captain Hawthorne. It was exemplary that the Lieutenant Commander saw the import of confirming what had been said about the parasites based on his own personal experience on Starbase 84. Indeed, that the crowd heard him speak of the enemy's nature might have some sway with the Resolve's crew, them still trusting his word more than Ives's. Ives could even see it happen, the crowd quietly resigning to accept what they had heard, eyes sinking to the deck plates below their feet. They were slowly coming to accept that their three-year voyage wasn't over, only about to continue upon a new ship.

Yet that hadn't been what was on Ives' mind. No... it was how Marquez had said Hawthorne had almost killed Cameron. Since Jien had talked Cam into going with the boarding team, asking her to use her family bond to Hawthorne in attempt to sway him to their cause and drop the shields, Jien now felt deep guilt about putting her in that kind of situation. Of course, she felt guilt about the mission being a failure as a whole, how she had not been able to prevent Jona Rez from committing sabotage, taken the right precautions, but hearing about Cam...

Jien had asked too much of her. To have her live through that kind of horror... he guilt of that was on a more personal level.

Trent was talking about the Devoted, and Jien slowly turned her head towards him. After what happened on the bridge, when one of them took up arms, that had been the moment when the harmless community of Morali followers aboard had ceased to be a beneficent distraction for hose needing to have faith in something... and instead became a liability for the mission. Because of the Devoted, Edena Rez was dead, and while the Assistant CMO might wake up as the new host and thus preserve Jona's secrets, Jien had left the Devoted to Wenn Cinn to deal with. Security was sanctioned to deal with the issue as best Cinn saw fit, and Jien had confidence he knew what measures needed to be taken. Already, the Devoted had been emboldened by what happened on the bridge, reports about their various actions coming in.

In the end, Doctor O'Connor's voice was a welcome balm, oddly soothing after all that had been said, and Jien could not help but appreciate the counselor's words. They might have their personal differences, the two of them, but it was clear Hayden knew what she was about. Before the Chief Counselor finished, when she spoke of being inclusive towards all the new people on the ship, Jien felt her face let on a faint smile. It was, perhaps, the most important thing said so far. The people before the podium were no outsiders any more. Starfleet was built to acknowledge their own, accepting the chain-of-command and thus including them regardless where they came from. The people before Jien was her crew now, regardless what they might think and however much they chose to cling to what had been lost in the battle.

Even if Jien had ordered the Theurgy to protect the Resolve and let the crew aboard - saving over two hundred people mid-battle - she knew she still had to prove herself as their new Commanding Officer. Given the circumstances aboard, and the bitter challenges ahead, it would not be easy to replace their late Captain Kendrick. Nonetheless, it was either that... or a new mutiny, and she wasn't too keen on having to survive another one...

"Lieutenant O'Connor speaks wisely," she said, trying to hold on to that faint smile that had come to her, "You are all crew of the Theurgy now, and while this ship is not run like the Resolve - and you may see fault in my conduct compared to what you are used to - make no mistake. I still consider you all to be my crew, and I hope this transition will be as easy as possible. Duty assignments will be given as soon as possible, and the Quartermaster - his office being on Deck 10 - will make sure you have accommodations to sleep in tonight. Expect to hear from your Department Heads, and if you are lost, Thea can help you find your way. Further announcements and ship-wide briefings will be made on the intercom."

Jien paused, wondering if there was ought to be said about the mission ahead. In the end, she decided they needed time to digest what had already happened first, so she ended the briefing.

"Dismissed."

- Fin