Tony, aka VAiru

So clearly I had to drop back in to say hello, to thank everyone above for their kind words, and to congratulate my fellow winners! I'll start with James, who is absolutely deserving of the Picard Award and the T'Pau Cluster. I was endlessly disappointed when I saw that James was taking some time away from the group several summers ago, even though I knew it was necessary, and I hoped that -- when he came back -- he would do so with a vengeance. He exceeded my expectations at every turn! James has redefined in many ways how our group functions and how simming takes place. I've been lucky enough to work with him as he plans, and the amount of effort and energy he put into starting the Andaris Task Force represents his absolute dedication. He's a legend! I'm glad to see this year's Chief's Citation go to Lee. He's always struck me as one of those unsung heroes of the group, just like the award intends, and so I hope it's a great reward for him to be recognized with this -- and at the staff level, no less! Well done on that deserved promotion, too, Lee! Ann's kind hand and gentle generosity make me a little surprised she hasn't received the Sarek Star yet, but it seems like this is definitely the right year. Way, WAY back when, she mentored me as a new CO as I worked toward the rank of captain, and she was always ready with positive feedback and encouragement to explore my own style as a CO and use what worked for me. She's one of the longest serving COs in the fleet's history with one of the most dedicated crews, and it's easy to see why. Oh my gosh, Jamie! I have so much respect for Jamie. Not only is she one of the coolest people I've ever met through 118 (seriously, just look at any of her hobbies!), but she was one of those people I knew from the start would do great things for the group. But the respect I have for her comes, in part, from my recognition of her experience -- when I was much newer to the group, I wanted to reach command so I could create ships, missions, and stories, and once I got there, I learned administration and how to run a ship. Jamie's experience allowed her to make informed decisions at every step, and whenever she's stepped into a new role or declined an invitation, it's always with both eyes firmly fixed on how to create the best experience for the writers on Ops. I've come to think of her work there as the Ops renaissance, because while Ops has been around for decades, no one has run it as smoothly, as kindly, or as intelligently as Jamie. Finally, Rich. Like he says above, we've written together for a long while, and it's been a privilege to watch him work and write during that time. He and I have always worked together, in part because we're both focused on ideas and pushing boundaries. Sometimes that could be great, especially when we complemented each other, and other times we could go absolutely crazy as we both focused in on something new! But as happy as I was to see Rich go for his own command -- and as thrilled as I am that he's both a CO and serving the group at its highest levels -- there was always a part of me that regretted losing him as my XO, because how could anyone ever measure up? (I don't mean any disrespect to my other XOs, of course -- I've been lucky in having an immensely talented group of XOs -- but Rich was with me longest and has gone farthest in 118 since!) He's amazing, one of the best folks I've ever met, period, and I can't say more than that. Stealth mentions to a couple of folks who make presentations! Jordan and Emma are legendary in their own rights, and I miss our conversations on the EC and putting together things like this celebratory write-up. Great job, both of you, and it's always a pleasure to read!

My skant powers are tingling! What's going on around here?!

((Engineering, USS Za)) :: As soon as Laura entered engineering she knew something wasn't quite right, it didn't sound right. She couldn't put her finger on it at first, then she noticed the warp core it wasn't glowing or make the usual humming sound she was accustom too. :: :: She moved quickly towards the warp core and heard people busying around. :: Human crewman: Ready to reactive reactor injectors Bajoran crewman: Go ahead. I'll monitor the anti-matter flow from here. :: Laura watched as the warp core light up, it was an impressive site. :: Andorian crewman: Reaction is increasing steady. Bajoran Crewman: Keep an eye on it. It takes about 30 minutes for it reach operation levels. Give me a shout if there are any problems. :: Turning to the human crewman:: Run the standard warp core initialisation diagnostic sequences. I'll be back in 20 minutes. Human crewman: Understood, sir. :: Laura moved to intercept the Bajoran crewman as he walked away from the warp console. :: Baxter: Ensign Laura Baxter, nice to meet you. Vreya: Chief Petty Officer Vreya Kima, I'm a little busy at the moment :: He continued walked and Laura quickly followed behind. :: Baxter: If you could just give me an update on the current situation? Vreya: What is your role? Baxter: Acting Chief Engineer ::Proudly:: :: Vreya stopped and turned, looking her over intently. :: Vreya: What happened to Lieutenant T... Te..., I can't remember his name ::He said shaking his head:: and Lieutenant Phillips, I think it was his assistant? Baxter: I don't actually know ::Honestly:: I was ordered to transfer about 2 weeks ago weren't you informed. :: Vreya shook his head :: Vreya: Do you know when your replacement will arrive? :: Laura shoke her head, but she couldn't hide the surprise from her face.:: oO My replacement Oo ::She hadn't though about the fact that they may be sending someone experienced to replace her. :: oO But I am only acting Oo Vreya: How long have you been out of the academy? Baxter: 2 months ::Embarrassed:: oO That doesn't sound great Oo But I have lead teams during my days as a civilian engineer. Vreya: It's a bit different being in the military. If you need any help just ask. I've taken Crewman Behl over there :: pointing to Andorian :: under my wing. Baxter: I'll bear that in mind. ::Slightly frustrated:: Vreya: Anyway need to get back to work. :: Kima walked away. After a few seconds Laura realised that she hadn't got the answer to her question. She considered chasing after him, but now felt very uncertain of herself and didn't want to face him again. :: :: Laura went to hide away in the engineering office, not ready to face anyone else. She pulled up the personnel record for Vreya. He was 45, with over 25 years experience serving on starships. :: oO No wonder he didn't respect me Oo :: Laura read further. He had a wife and two children who were onboard and he had joined the starship during it's refit on starbase 118. She closed the record, she was getting distracted and pulled up the current status. It looked like the warpcore had been shut down due to the need to make some adjustments due to diagnostic amoralities with it's interaction with the slipstream drive. :: Solzano: =/\= This is Fleet Captain Zalea Solzano to all Za personnel. Please board the Za at your earliest convenience. We will be departing at 1000 hours, at which point all officers should report to their Alpha Shift posts. ::beat:: Solzano, out. =/\= :: Listening to the communication, Laura decided it would be best to stay in engineering and monitor the situation with the warp core, then once they were going steady she would report to the captain. Though she would monitor from a distance, as she was still feeling a bit uneasy about her authority after her conversation with Kima. :: Ensign Laura Baxter USS Za Acting Chief Engineer ID number: E239306LB0

((Arboretum, Deep Space 32)) ::It was a strange thing, this need for nature. And it was a need, a telling mark of the tether that bound them to planets; to ground and open sky and growing things. They were, all of them, creatures of living worlds, not truly adapted to an existence in space, however much their technology might allow them to move through the dark between the stars. And so they brought these little pieces of planetary ecology with them.:: ::The trees of Deep Space 32's Arboretum were majestic, the small patch of grass lush and inviting, to those who were accustomed to such things. Green, rich, humid, with the trickle of water in the background. Nothing like home; nothing like arid plains, dry orange skies and red vegetation of Vulcan. His world, like his people, were an anomaly amongst the humanoids of the galaxy; one exercise in extremes. But they were not the only one.:: ::And now they were venturing to another extreme, the deep galactic south, far beyond Federation borders. I was the kind of exploration that called to him, even as he left things behind. But such was the nature of a career in Starfleet. From the Embassy on Duronis II to the previously little-explored Menthar Corridor aboard a series of ships; theMercury, Garuda and finally Invicta. And now further afield still, on the newly refurbished USS Za.:: ::The ship was unknown territory as, quite probably, were all his crewmates. Perhaps a few might be familiar, but he understood that the crew was drawn from across Starfleet. The Captain was an unknown as well, but he understood that they shared both a career in Starfleet Medical and a concern for the plight of the Romulans. Perhaps that was why he had been requested. The unknown would require flexibility and diplomacy, if the space they were to explore was anything like that they were leaving.:: ::There would be time enough to meditate on that, and on other things.:: Saveron: Saavok.::He called to his son.:: It is time to board the ship. ::The young Vulcan boy looked up from where he was investigating a heretofore unencountered plant with the kind of enthusiastic and slightly destructive interest of young children everywhere.:: Saavok: Yes father. ::He would rather have stayed, but he knew they had to go. Every movement took them further from the Corridor and the friends he had made. Even if those friends also came and went as their parents transferred. Such was regrettable, but it was a consequence of his choice to accompany his father.:: ::Brushing off the knees of his trousers, the boy picked up a small carry-cage and approached his father. The white angora tribble in the cage began to coo at the movement. After a moment the two set out together in the direction of the ship dock.:: Saveron: Our possessions will have been conveyed to our quarters. We shall go there directly. Saavok: Do you know whether there are any other children on board? Saveron: Negative, however I will enquire on your behalf. ::He had already resolved to do so, aware of his son's preference for companions of his own age.:: Saavok: At least it's a long mission. It will not be easy for them to transfer away. ::He mused.:: ::Saveron let the comment go. His son expressed excessive regret at their departure from the Corridor, but emotional suppression was not the easiest discipline when one was nine.:: ::They both left friends behind, those whose company they considered preferable. Some more than most. But in some cases a clean separation was preferable to the unanticipated difficulties surrounding continuing association with one with whom he had been... very close.:: ::Such things were in the past. As they approached the umbilical joining the ship to the station, the only way to look was forward to the future. If it was anything like his time in the Menthar Corridor, it would be full of fascinating challenges.:: END Commander Saveron Chief Medical Officer USS Za R238802S10

I went with my absolute favorite, but mad respect for another program. I think you'll know what I'm talking about if you take a good look....

Welcome to the fleet, and welcome to the Za!

Welcome to the fleet, and welcome to the Za!

I can't not post this again, because it was that good!

Just saw it yesterday! A lot of folks have said what I've been thinking already, esp. Rich & Ryan, but there's one major thing I want to give them credit for: I had a few other problems with the film, but overall it was a hugely and unexpectedly fun time.

I've seen a lot of discussion of the new show around the interwebs. A lot, and I mean a lot, has been about the design of the ship. To this, my favorite community of interweb Trekkies, I add my thoughts: They could have them flying around in a giant rubber duck with the registry code NCC-Z 1/2, and at this point I wouldn't care, because... I'M JUST SO EXCITED WE'RE GETTING A NEW TREK SHOW!

Ryan. Ryan, no. Please, won't you think of the children?

Mandy beat me to it, but I have to throw in this gif given what Ryan said about his TOS watching....

I've chosen to go with my first character to reach the rank of fleet captain, Cassandra Egan Manno, for my dressy avatar--but the actress who portrays her, Danai Gurira, has too many flawless looks to go with just one, so I've chosen this one for these festivities: And, because I can't leave Kells out, here's a particularly fun (if irritatingly watermarked) image of his actor, Timothy Dalton, posing with Whoopi Goldberg--perhaps Aron Kells has met the erstwhile Guinan?

So many congratulations to all of our winners! If you guys haven't seen Mandy's amazing working with the videos and toons, I'd encourage you to swing by the Invicta forums. It isn't every day that you win an award you inspired--and I mean it very much when I say that the impressiveness she's brought to the forums was the reason I proposed Quark's Bar in the first place. Well done! Also, a special shoutout to our first Luminary Award winner! Over the years, I've seen some very impressive junior members come through (many of whom have ended up as captains or above), and this year, I thought it would be appropriate to ensure that one of those most impressive junior members was recognized with a fleet award. The Rising Star Award is awesome, of course, but I know it's often difficult to stand out when you're a lieutenant or below because lieutenant commanders and above seem to have access to things that you don't. But what I really appreciate about Noelle as the inaugural winner is that she's gone out there and shown that she can do it all already--I couldn't believe the impressive job her nominators said she'd done as acting XO, and the rest of her record is just as impressive. Well done you! And to this year's rising star, Rich--I can only add that it's been one of the greatest pleasures of my simming career to have spent the last few years writing with you and, now, watching you become the captain I knew you could be. Congratulations!

As Mandy knows (to her chagrin, haha), Lindsey Buckingham was my original avatar for Kells. So this is every kind of appropriate!

I was trying to make it as serious as possible for the characters, even while I was giggling. Oh, delicious, ironic humor!

So relevant!

I had to go with Ivanova, for XO (of course!). It was hard to pass up Ripley, but IMO she's not a good fit for the Star Trek universe. I absolutely would've picked Scully over Mulder (and maybe over the rest of the options, too!). Fun poll topic! I love me some crossovers.

I'm 100% sure this will never happen! It's never happened! It isn't happening now!

Ditto! I loved my old Encyclopedia back in the day and I'd get this just for the sake of having a reference guide when I'm not online -- but, wow, they're really pushing it with that hundred dollar tag! I think my old one was maybe thirty bucks new, back when I ogled it in and then finally bought it from Waldenbooks. Still, it's pretty awesome that there's a new one being released! Maybe the price'll come down after a few months.

((Q Continuum)) ::She smirked with amusement.:: Q: So much for the exchange of rooks. Quana: I don’t follow your meaning. :: She looked at her with a raised eyebrow.:: Q: You obviously weren’t paying attention, were you? Quana: Not particularly. Like I said, they need conflict and you refuse to provide anything worth while. Q: Conflict is more than the physical drama. It is mental as well. Despite their simplicity, they are quite adaptable. ::She flicked her fingers and a view of Aron Kells appeared before them.:: Q: He navigated his challenge rather well I think. :;glances at Quana.:: No, you can’t have him. Quana: Wasn’t planning to ask. Instead, I’ll merely pointed out that you told your king the aim of the game - or, for your clarification, you *cheated*. ::She crossed her arms, a scowl on her face.:: I demand a *real* scenario. All your people have had it easy - I’ve put mine through all acceptable conflicts. Those on the Invicta should do the same. You can start with your queen, since I started with mine. ::Q laughed in the face of her companion.:: Q: Need I remind you of the rules we agreed on? Quana: I’m sure you will anyway. Q: There was no stipulation of the severity of the scenario. I prefer mental challenge, considering how fragile their bodies are. Telling them what is at stake, is part of the challenge. Fear works well with this species. Quana: Then *challenge* them. You have a queen with a failed “slipstream” experiment, my rook and yours beside her - what better hurdle to overcome? And should something happen, you always have your bishop to fall back on. ::The smile faded from her face.:: Q: Do not presume to tell me what challenges to use, Q. That was our agreement. Quana: *Your* agreement. I never agreed to such terms. ::She leaned forward.:: Do you really want to play a boring game? I know what you’re doing here - you think you can beat me by sticking to your own rules, claim all my collection for the continuum, but believe me. I’m quite capable of forfeiting the game, taking all the remainder of my collection and just build it back up. You’re not going to win this round if you don’t *challenge your pieces*. ::Her eyes narrowed slightly.:: Q: I find your need to “collect” boring. The Continuum does not want your collection. We agreed to these games in order to avoid taking unilateral action. ::She paused. She had thought most of her race had left behind these needs aeons ago. It was the younger Q that brought chaos.:: Q: If I win… you stop collecting. Quana: That requires a few conditions. ::Her hands clasped behind her back, a coy smile on her lips.:: No cheating from this point forward, no ridiculously easy scenarios. Pitting piece against piece. None of this “for their safety” nonsense. If you’re truly concerned for them, place them in a case when they’re removed from the board instead of allowing their obliteration. ::She laced her fingers together as she stared at her companion.:: Q: I find it hard to fathom the words that had just come out of your mouth. ::pause:: You expect me to play a game where you set all the rules? ::pause:: For all the good it did you last time. Quana: Well then you have nothing to worry about, do you? oO I could have been basking in the heart of a star. Instead I’m doing this. Oo Q: We shall see. ===== Q (simmed by Lieutenant Raissa Moonsong) and Quana (simmed by Lieutenant Commander Tristam Core)

This seems particularly relevant: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RecycledINSPACE Though I don't so much think of TOS as recycling in space as in being really uneven with their allusions. New alien species? Cool Roman analogy. "But, guys, know what would be even better? Actual Romans!" *facepalm* But I am glad you included him, Rich! Of all the possibilities for the Invicta's bridge, that particular diplomat was not one that occurred to me

(( Corridors, USS Invicta )) ::A new ship, and a new school. Not *entirely* new, something for which she was grateful. The faces were mostly the same, and of course Dylan now had new partner in crime, in form of Saavok. He didn't really need walking to the classroom, and she suspected it wouldn't be long before he wanted to be left to get to school alone. But for now, he was content with the company and she liked the few extra moments it gave her with her eldest. ::Though her company was lacking that morning. While Amelia was contentedly cocooned in her sling, as ever soothed by motion, Quinn was distracted by the PADD in her hand. She scowled at the urgent missive from Admiral Zeldenthuis that was seared into the screen, not daring to respond immediately, for fear of career-ending sarcasm. The next time she saw that man... well, she'd… she'd... ::She'd be very cross. Not that it would do her any good. The ebullient Dutchman was well used to her squinted glares by now, and almost seemed to delight in them. Perhaps this time she'd try not to give him the satisfaction. ::Chance would be a fine thing. Pursing her lips, Quinn dropped her hand -- and the PADD she carried -- to her side, and looked to her son, who was unusually quiet. ::He wasn't there. ::She turned, puzzled to see him a few paces back, stood at an intersection, staring intently down one of the corridors. Reynolds: Dylan? ::She started back toward him.:: What's-- Dylan: Dad? ::He paused, disbelieving.:: Dad? DAD! ::He broke into a sprint, charging down the corridor and out of sight. She frowned in confusion, then realisation dawned and all the colour drained from her already pale skin. Reluctantly, her shoulders hunching in grim anticipation, she looked in the direction her son was running. ::If looks could kill, she would have combusted on the spot. Walter Brunsig *glared* at her, seconds before Dylan threw his arms around his arms around his waist. The boy was barely holding back tears, almost overcome with emotion. ::Quinn felt like crying too, but hers was an entirely different set of reasons.:: Dylan: Nono, look! Look! ::Oh, she was looking. Like a shuttle wreck, she couldn't turn away. Dylan released Walter, only to take his hand and start dragging him down the corridor toward her. Silently, she prayed for a red alert. ::It was not forthcoming.:: Dylan: Look! Look, Nono! You were wrong! He's okay! ::Her answering smile was a grimace, and she deliberately avoided meeting Walter's gaze. The threat of spontaneous combustion had only increased, after all.:: Reynolds: I, uh… Yes, I was. ::Her mind went blank. Amelia groused in the sling. There was an awkward pause that ended with an irritated snort from the tall blond.:: Brunsig: Isn't it time for school? Dylan: Yes, but-- Brunsig: Go. Use that brain of yours. Expand your mind. Be productive. Shoot spitballs at your teacher. Dylan: But-- Brunsig: Beat it, Pickle. ::A moment, then he added,:: We can catch up when my shift's finished. Dylan: Promise? Brunsig: Scout's honour. ::When Dylan didn't move, Walter planted his hands on his shoulders, turned him in the direction of the classrooms and walked him a couple of steps forward.:: School. Now. ::There were some fights you couldn't win, and she saw the realisation that this was one of them cross her son's face. He grumbled, glanced back at them both, and shot Walter a small smile before tearing off in the direction of the classrooms. No doubt Saavok would be hearing all about how Dylan's dead father was not-so-dead after all.:: Reynolds: Thank you. ::To no one's surprise, his mood markedly soured after Dylan's departure, and he was back to glaring at her.:: Brunsig: I'm not doing it for you. ::He eyed her.:: So why didn't you tell him? Reynolds: ::Weakly,:: I… was going to? ::She just hadn't been sure how. How to tell Dylan that the man he considered his father wasn't dead after all, but marooned on an uninhabited planet for several years. How he was back, but there'd be no happy families. That civil conversation was a stretch. ::And honestly? She didn't expect him to stay around for very long. If she knew Walter, his transfer request was already submitted, and he was simply waiting for permission to hightail it away.:: Brunsig: Let me guess. Your great, master plan was to hope we wouldn't bump into each other? Reynolds: Yes. Brunsig: For someone so smart, you can be jaw-achingly stupid. Reynolds: ::She sighed.:: Yes. ::Insults thrown and acknowledged, she expected him to walk away. He almost did, taking a step forward. But something caught his eye. Something small, blond and five months old.:: Brunsig: So this is the spawn of Reynolds. ::He paused, studying Amelia.:: She's not entirely unattractive. Who's her father? ::Oh. That question. Why did he have to ask *that* question? She grimaced, and the reluctance to answer was obvious in her voice.:: Reynolds: Harrison Ross. ::He paused. She saw the recognition in his eyes.:: Brunsig: You have appalling taste in men, Quinn. Reynolds: You aren't so bad. Brunsig: I rest my case. ::She gave him a weary, resigned look. Oddly, he had returned his intense gaze to Amelia, who returned it, and threw in a gummy smile for good measure.:: Reynolds: Walter? ::His eyes snapped back up to her, and his scowl returned.:: Brunsig: I'll stay out of your way while I'm aboard. Reciprocate. ::He paused.:: Dylan can come by if he must, but I'm not sticking around, and I'm not going to explain that to him. ::She sought for the right words. Perhaps not to fix things -- nothing would immediately repair the damage, but maybe she could start things in the right direction.:: Look, I-- Reynolds: Walter, I-- ::She didn't get to finish. He slapped his combadge, began barking out orders and stalked off down the corridor. Wrapped up in her own unhappiness, she didn't see the last glance he threw over his shoulder as he rounded the corner and moved out of sight.:: fin -- Captain Quinn Reynolds Director of IntelligenceUSS Invicta & Commander Walter BrunsigStrategic OperationsMenthar Corridor

// Captain's Personal Log, SD 239206.19 // Of course I didn't see it coming. Who would have? Who would have ever thought that he would have by the Architecting President? No one, that's who. Which is why, of course, I thought it was okay to let my mind wander in the first place. (( Main Reception Hall, USS Invicta )) Egan Manno: Kells! :: Egan Manno's voice was a whisper, albeit it a pointed one. Her elbow, on the other hand, was not so soft. He was surprised, a moment later, that she'd risked it; some of the cameras were already on them, and they would've caught not only that motion but also his way he jerked out of his reverie. :: Kells: Hrmph? Egan Manno: Stand. Up. :: She was smiling. Everyone was. And clapping? Yes, all of them were applauding, and the president was -- Architect, was she looking at him? What off Earth was she doing that for? :: Kells: What? Why? Egan Manno: Just do it! :: So he stood. Not knowing why, but he figured, if the president was looking, well, the worst he could do was make a fool of himself -- and with Egan Manno's elbow, he'd already done that. Then she began to speak... :: // Captain's Personal Log, SD 239206.19 // No one would've seen it coming because it's ludicrous. One's orders come from one's CO -- in my case, Egan Manno -- or, at the very outside, the CO a grade or two above one's. Not from the president. The Starfleet isn't a military organization and she's not Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet -- but damned if that stopped her here. At first I didn't know what to think. I mean, it was the rhetoric I dreaded, all about bravery on the frontier and pushing the limits of exploration and the steady hands of diplomacy -- sound bites, little nothings that had zero to do with the Va Wreth mission and the capture of Ross, which is what I finally gathered she was talking about. But why me? I hadn't really done anything special, and most of my senior staff hadn't even been allowed in. By the Architect, Rahman wasn't even there, and her teams had been entirely responsible for finding Ross. But then she came to it, finally. Not only was I and my crew all that she'd said, we were the very best of the Starfleet and of its mission here, including the great experiment that was Astrofori One. The Invicta, she said, and I swear she was looking right at me when she said it, is exactly the sort of vessel Starfleet wants to have at this crucial juncture in the Menthar Corridor. And she, damn it all, couldn't think of any captain and crew she would rather have aboard. (( Main Reception Hall, USS Invicta )) :: Push up, pull down: Aron was so lost in a moment he hadn't believed had actually happened that Egan Manno, as surreptitiously as possible, had to tug on a pleat in the back of his uniform jacket. He was already clapping, had been as he stood there and continued to as he sat down rather abruptly. The applause continued, though the bright eyes of the cameras returned to the president as she continued to speak. Aron bent over to whisper in Egan Manno's ear. :: Kells: Can she do that? Egan Manno: I'm not going to argue with her. Are you? Kells: But-- really, can she do that? Does she have the authority? Egan Manno: Of course not. But she's expressed her desire to see the Garuda's successful crew, including its captain, transfer to the Invicta. I, and the other officers who actually make such things happen, will put through all the orders. It's a semantics question, Captain, and easily resolved. ::beat:: Congratulations. :: She actually seemed to mean it, too, despite being caught just as off-guard as he'd been. Well, and he supposed that there was nothing else for it: He couldn't exactly protest now. Wouldn't that be something, though? To stop the State of the Federation address as it was being given and insist that he wouldnt' take the spot? It would be pointless grandstanding, of course, more of the rhetoric he hated -- but something about it definitely appealed to him. :: // Captain's Personal Log, SD 239206.19 // Not that I was ever actually going to do it, of course. The president's promise was one thing, but Egan Manno's assent? Well, that was a done deal. She'd made it quite clear when she appointed me as the Garuda's CO what my options were (namely, take command or -- nope, there is no 'or'), so I didn't have much hope here. Nor did I have a good reason for not wanting to do as the president said, beyond that initial shock -- though once I started to think about it a little more, I realized that all my previous years of CO experience were vastly different from this. I'd operated alone, as the CO of the single Starfleet starship for dozens and dozens of light-years, in uncharted, often hostile space. And now they wanted me to play politician? It seemed bizarre, but -- as I say, I wasn't going to argue. (( Bridge, USS Invicta )) :: It certainly wasn't a bridge as he was used to it. The ships he'd seen rolling out of Utopia Planitia had increasingly dark, crowded bridges. True, there were some, like the Intrepid class, which were fairly large -- but always so dark. The Invicta's wasn't anything like that. Huge and bright, it built upon familiar aspects of the Garuda's basic model -- the tactical horseshoe, the array of consoles at the bridge's rear -- but included an entire conference room right in the middle of the bridge, as well as increased automation -- only two stations at the bridge's front, for ops and science -- and a lot of space devoted to seating areas, presumably for the use of discussion and use of foreign dignitaries and notables. The Invicta, after all, was a ship dedicated to diplomacy and science. And was, for the moment, a few hours after the State of the Federation address, mostly empty. In fact, with the exit of a pair of technicians a few moments ago, Aron was alone. He wouldn't remain that way for long, though, and he didn't turn when he heard the turbolift doors open. Nor did he sit down at the conference table; rather, he stood at the front of the bridge, gazing at the huge viewscreen. :: Kells: Roshanara. I've been waiting. Rahman: My apologies, captain. Kells: No, no hurry. I imagine you've heard, then. Rahman: Part of the delay was there seemed to be a bit of a mix up. I was told initially I'd be remaining on the Garuda to accompany her back towards the Federation. Kells: I know. Believe me, your lack of invitation was not my intent, and had I realized it earlier, I would've said something. However-- :: He hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her this, but -- despite the smashing success the president seemed to believe their prior mission had been -- it felt wrong to add to their growing CO/XO relationship with a lie. :: Kells: It was done intentionally. I understand that ::beat:: you were not the first choice to accompany the Invicta as its executive officer. :: And he disliked the president's rhetoric? :: Rahman: I see… Kells: Starfleet Command thought it might be prudent to assign another officer. I disagreed, and Egan Manno backed me up. You're still here, you're my XO, and I told them that was the last I wanted to hear about it. ::beat:: Now, then, we have to begin transitioning everything over. I'll trust you to coordinate shakedown and shore leave schedules, alright? Rahman: Understood, sir. Kells: Very good. ::beat, badge tap:: =/\= This is Captain Kells to all Garuda crew. Effective immediately, the senior staff has been reassigned to the USS Invicta, along with many junior officers and enlisted personnel. Please see your department heads for details, and if you have been reassigned, report over no later than 1800 this evening to prepare for a short shakedown cruise. That is all. =/\= Rahman: If there's anything else, Captain? TBC! Captain Aron KellsCommanding OfficerUSS Invicta