Genkos Adea
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Written by Christopher Caldwell (although I take full responsibility for the awful title)
Since Star Trek: The Next Generation aired over 37 years ago, the show’s characters have achieved a level of cultural recognition that transcends the realm of science fiction fandom. The show's ensemble cast expanded on the progressive vision of the original series and in doing so helped to pave the way for greater diversity and inclusivity in entertainment and beyond, inspiring not just the next generation, but all those that would follow. As Star Trek fans we’ve witnessed the crew of the Enterprise D (and later E) utilising diplomacy, science, technology and guile in order to complete a multitude of missions; they’ve boldly gone where no one has gone before, expanding our understanding of the universe, defending us from great evil and even saving the galaxy itself. But their next mission will be something that we’ve never seen before, festive gift-giving. Our question this month, asks you to answer the question of which main character from The Next Generation would be the best give-giver and why do you think so? Time to make it snow!
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written by Christopher Caldwell
The Star Trek universe has unlimited potential for storytelling.
Even with The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager all taking place within the same time period each show had its own unique premise but thanks to shows like Enterprise (later Star Trek: Enterprise) and Star Trek: Discovery, the Star Trek timeline has expanded beyond the 23rd and 24th centuries explored in the TOS and TNG eras, now featuring the 22nd century and, if including the ‘Short Trek’ episode ‘Calypso’, the 43rd century respectively.
We know that the Section 31 TV movie is set during ‘The Lost Era’ (the time between the original Star Trek movies and The Next Generation), there’s been a lot of talk of the next Star Trek cinematic release being a prequel and there are multiple shows in the works including Starfleet Academy which takes place in the 32nd century as well as the Tawny Newsome penned live action comedy, potentially in the vein of Parks & Recreation, that is believed to take place on the planet Risa in the 25th century.
With the Star Trek canon increasing to expand with new shows and movies, we’d love to ask you what era you would want the next Star Trek show or movie to take place and why?
Do you want to stick with something familiar or go where no one has boldly gone before?
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I'm here!
"And AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII will always hate yooooooooooooooooooou"
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Now we’re on the other side of the Frontier Day blockbuster (well done to everyone who participated, it was a nail-biter!) we thought we’d throw up an interesting query to all of you… Who do you think is the biggest threat to peace in the galaxy?
We’ll start off with the two most obvious answers - the Borg and the Changelings. As the architects of the Frontier Day disaster, they were responsible for the huge loss of life experienced across Starfleet on that day, as well as the sudden assimilation of every officer under the age of 30. But apart from that, both have been huge threats even before they joined forces.
The Borg have posed a legitimate existential threat to life in the Alpha Quadrant ever since Q zapped Picard halfway across the galaxy to meet them, and they only became more credible as a danger at the Battle of Wolf 359 and in their encounters with Janeway. Ruthless and without feeling, the Borg are legitimately terrifying.
The Changelings were responsible for the Dominion War, the largest and most bloody conflict in recent memory, scars of which still crisscross the galaxy. Whether you lived on occupied Betazed or fought them at Deep Space Nine, nobody can forget the threat of not truly knowing who your friends were coupled with the relentless march of the Jem’hadar.
The Lattice Alliance, a xenophobic alliance of Tholians and Sheliak have pooled their technology to use weapons based on sencha radiation, using crystalline technology. This has allowed them to focus and amplify the effects of the radiation, creating cannons and blast weapons of a destructive power seldom seen before. The USS Ronin first encountered sencha radiation in 2400 and barely escaped the conflict in one piece, and the Alliance continues to menace the quadrant to this day.
Also, we have the Orion Syndicate - possibly more insidious than the others in that they’re not actively engaged in battle with the Federation, but their methods can be brutal and barbaric. Skin colour to dye for, though!
Or do you have another suggestion? Let us know in the comments!
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Welcome!
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8 hours ago, Erik Johnson said:
Was I sent a formal invite when I responded and completely miss it?
I did email you, maybe it went to spam!
Are you both on Discord? I'll invite you to the channel
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Well hello there! It’s been a while since we’ve run a Poll of the Month, and we thought our 30th Anniversary month would be a fantastic time to come back from the dead (a Star Trek speciality). A huge thank you to @Gogigobo Fairhug for giving me the nudge needed to get this ship back online.
Soooooo, with it being our thirtieth anniversary (!) and also the month of our beloved awards ceremony, we thought we’d ask you an interesting question about our avatars. Obviously at this time of year, we get our characters all dressed up in their finest black tie/prom dress/weird outfit that the actor wore to the Met Gala in 2017… you know who you are. And this raised an interesting little question for me this month.
How did you select your avatar for Starbase118? I myself started off using my own image for Genkos (hugely embarrassing I know, but I was young…ish) and then moved to the beautifully angular Ben Whishaw when I got more of a handle both on simming and on the character of Genkos. I’ve also made more of an effort to try and include POC in my PNPC characters list (okay, I have three, but it’s a start!).
So that brings me to the question of the week - how do you select the actors/models/random strangers that you’ve picked for your avatars?
Do you develop the character and then think “who do I know who plays characters like that?” or do you think of an actor that exists and think “wow, they would be fun to play as - they normally play ineffable grumps”? It’s a bit of a chicken and an egg question, but we are interested to know!
Or do you do something completely different - let us know what you do in the comments below!
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7 hours ago, Alora DeVeau said:
@Genkos Adea left a strong impression.
I don't remember saying this, but it does sound like something I'd say.
As I often say, the day I taught you in the Academy was the greatest day of your life, for me - it was a Tuesday.
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Marshall: ::Quietly,:: I could probably clone Caedan from the amount of DNA he's left in my quarters over the years.
Excuse me? ::blinks::
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I wanted to showcase this fantastic sim from @Jovenan. She played Tevet Elain as a childhood friend of Genkos in the last leave, then we encountered a youthful version of the character thanks to time-hopping shenanigans. And now we're back in the present, having changed the past - and Jovenan came right out the gate with this compelling antagonist. Five stars.
Quote((Imperial Battlecruiser Sword of Rixx))
oO We’ll be back sooner than you think. Be brave, be sensible and go in good faith. Oo
Then he had jumped through the window.
Tevet’s fingernails left a mark to the armrest of her seat. She thought of it often. It came to her dreams; it bothered her when awake. A time traveller enforcing some temporal destiny. A doctor of good conscience. A friend of hers.
And a bloody liar.
Tevet’s command centre at the belly of her imperial flagship was entirely silent. The staff dedicated to her personally were in full work by the various consoles monitoring the status of the ship and the empire, but not a word was uttered. The various orders to the bridge and the tactical centre were sent by telepathic means. Tevet would occasionally tap into the transmissions or straight into the minds of anyone in the crew; their natural encryption could not be breached by technological means, but they also had no secrets from her.
Elain: ~ Magnify. ~
The image on the main screen grew larger as the focus shifted to a specific point. A ship with a round saucer and a lower secondary hull supporting two nacelles abreast, it was easy to identify this vessel as Starfleet. There was just one thing that set it aside from the rest of the ships their hunting parties had discovered floating around: It was of a class that had never come to existence.
After Genkos and his companions had jumped through the window and into another world, Tevet had stayed. She had promised to stay there and guard the portal until they would return. After all, they had promised they would. For days, then months and finally years had she sat there, staring at a portal that would remain inert. For nothing. Tevet had learnt that promises weight little in the scales of the universe. Genkos hadn’t kept his. Federation hadn’t kept theirs.
Before the Occupation, Genkos’ parents had taught Genkos and Tevet that like doctors, veterinarians would promise to do on harm.
If no one had kept their promises to her, why should she have kept hers?
An imperial aide-de-camp twitched on Tevet’s right side. Without moving her head, Tevet eyes darted towards the senior officer who had now readopted the stiff, immobile posture. The aide wore almost identical uniform to her, barring the slightly toned-down honours and insignia when compared to the imperial fleet admiral’s uniform Tevet donned. She preferred the utilitarian yet striking uniform compared to the cumbersome and rather ridiculous robes the Betazoid nobility had had the habit to wear. It signalled the complete shift to the culture of her species she had ushered; they were a vengeful military empire now.
Tevet knew why the aide had flinched; she had sensed the pleasure and wrath that had filled Tevet’s mind upon recognizing the vessel. Tevet didn’t hide it; a wide grin arose to her face as the ship, halted, perhaps even adrift, turned so that she could read the letters painted across its primary hull: USS Artemis. A ship, one of a mission that didn’t belong to their world, had been found and was soon hers. Hers alone.
Elain: ~ Get their attention. ~
Genkos and his colleagues had shied away from telling too much of themselves in the presence of her juvenile self. However, they had let slip more than was beneficial to them. It had taken Tevet decades, but little by little she could follow the breadcrumbs they had scattered across the galaxy. Anyone who bore the name or symbols she had seen that day would wound up in one of the camps of her design. Any story that could be expanded by the mean of torture was of interest to her.
Experimental ship in the orbit of Betazed. Attempted attack against the Jem’Hadar by the Old Resistance and their unexpected benefactors. The pathetic attempt with a turret in Ki Baratan. Mizarian, Edo, Vulcan, Galadoran, Dakora, MacKenzie. Artemis. She knew it all.
A bright orange beam crossed the dark space, hitting the Federation ship to the wide side of the saucer. Barely able to remain on her seat, Tevet watched the Artemis gain momentum and shake. The starship didn’t respond. For a while, Tevet considered ordering the fleet to open full fire and rid her of the ship and the crew that had caused her so much pain. But where was the fun in that?
Elain: ~ Hail them. ~
After mere seconds, the image of the Artemis adrift in space was covered by another. It depicted an interior space, a bridge of common Starfleet design. And, at the centre of the image and of the bridge, a seat, occupied by a face she had seen once before, decades ago. Tevet felt like she could feast on the familiar tholtren until it would intoxicate her. So little had it changed.
Adea: Tevet? What’s going on?
Tevet smirked. The arrogance.
Elain: Hello, Genkos. Killed any senators lately?
Yellir/Kel: Response
Tevet observed the confusion on the Artemis’ bridge with malicious glee. The mechanics of time travel or the machinations of CloQ the False God were still mostly unfamiliar to her, but by the looks of it, she had caught them their pants down. They – no, he – had been her sole focus for decades, and her obsession was reaching its conclusion.
Adea: Response
Tevet leaned in closer to the screen.
Elain: Do you know how long I waited? Do you know how long I kept my promise and stayed in guard? I still have troops posted before that window, with the sole order to shoot dead anyone or anything that were to come through it.
Adea/Chevalier/Yellir/Kel: Response
Tevet leaned back on her throne and waved her hand.
Elain: I finally have you surrounded, Genkos. Drop your shields and prepare to be boarded. I wouldn’t want to give the order to destroy you; my fleet that surrounds you would be more than happy to oblige. And I wouldn’t want you to jump through yet another window either.
Adea/Chevalier/Yellir/Kel: Response
TAG/TBC
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Empress Tevet Elain
Sovereign
The Betazoid Chalice
E239911J11-
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Finch: I’m glad to see you haven’t got a concussion and can still remember things, Lieutenant. ::She said, impishly grinning.:: But…hang on a minute. You had holo-addiction!?
Gnaxac: Worse! I d-d-died; eaten by a d-d-dinosaur. ::pause:: I g-g-got better.
She paused what she was doing and blinked a few times. More than a few times, actually. Then she lowered her head and stared at him, trying to decipher the connection he’d made…before she fell into hearty laughter.
Finch: On second thought, maybe you have got a concussion. ::She snorted.:: Here! Swap places with me, would you. I can’t seem to move that thingy over to the other loopdeloo.
@Doz Finch Hysterical response
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That cane. Nolen recognized it. He’d never served with Commander Adea, except once. His own cadet cruise felt like a lifetime and a half ago, but it was hard to forget a Captain with a cane. He wondered if that’s why Adea used it.
The telltale black eyes of a Betazoid squinted from under his wavy brown hair as the Lieutenant greeted the Commander, who turned to face him as he approached, with an expectant smile
Adea: You must be Hobart.
The smile faded but only just. Of course he wouldn’t recognize him. The Commander must have seen hundreds of cadets come and go. After a brief mental stumble, Hobart recovered.
I feel awful about this @Nolen Hobart - but I will point out that your cadet cruise might well have been the most important day of your life. For me, it was a Tuesday.
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@Jovenan deserves all the points for this excellent callback.
QuoteJovenan: It’s not lies. It’s possible because we’ve all come here… from the future.
What? At first, that confused Tevet even further than any other claim they had made. It wasn’t possible to travel in time… or was it? Mom had told stories about travelling in time, of time machines and ships that went into the past or the future, something about whales. But they were all stories, not true! Yet… It made more sense than any other explanation.
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Genkos Adea checking in!
"Prepare for trouble! And make it double!"
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QuoteAmy’s Winehouse and Spirits. Freddy MerCurry, home of the fish tikka masala. Avril Living, transforming your interior space from a Damn Cold Night into Springtime in Paris.
@Yalu You are a monster.
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(( Bridge, USS Berlin))
Lorana was not a telepath like the Commander but she observed him in the uncomfortable silence that had fallen across the bridge of the Berlin.
Her enhanced hearing picked up the noises of the Berlin, Adea's fingers drummed against the arm of his chair, creating an uneasy rhythm to all of the other noises of the bridge, the instruments and the low thrumming of the ship itself. For her it was a symphony, a song that evoked an unknown danger.
In order to distract herself she focused on the job at hand, Lorana had completed her mapping, and set the ships scans to begin routinely scanning to collect data on the behaviour of the nebula.
oO we may as well get some useful scientific data Oo
Caitians were curious creatures and Luxa more so than most. Some of the mapping she had extrapolated had begun to reveal curious oddities. There appeared to be pathways, ordinarily these would be created by regular starship vessels travelling through this area of space but surely that was not possible in the Paulson Nebula?
A cough from one of the other officers brought her attention back to Adea and the others.
Adea: Any change in the Artemis?
Lorana: No change. The communications array is down so they can't respond to our Comms.
Lorana, at first, had suspected that the Artemis was bluffing attempting to get the Berlin to lower it's defences. The more time that passed the less it appeared to be the case.
She thought of her friends over there. Her earlier misgivings about the drill began to creep back in and a sense of guilt washed over her.
oO were we responsible for what's happening to the Artemis? Oo
Yellir: Response
Adea: I didn’t think there would be.
Adea stood up and paced a little bit. She noted a slight limp, and remembered that he had a prosthetic leg.
Adea: Right. Can we figure out a novel way of contacting them? Visually perhaps? Audibly? Something to find out what by the four is going on here.
Lorana: Commander, if we're assuming that this period of :: stumbles for the correct word :: pause, is due to a real issue, outside of the drill, then it's logical that the Artemis would be trying to contact us? They have no communications array, so they'll likely use external probes, buoys or lights.
Yellir: Response
Lorana turns to her station and runs an analysis on smaller objects around the Artemis, listening to the Chief Engineers suggestions while she works.
Lorana: Triangulating for any communications signals coming from outside of the Artemis :: she catches a 'ping' :: That's weird. :: Checks again :: It's gone now, but I'm sure I got a reading. It wasn't Starfleet. Almost like sonar, some older transport vessels still use them to avoid detection, sir. They send a 'ping', almost like a bell in the night, for other vessels to triangulate their location. I'd have dismissed it as background noise of the nebula if I hadn't been specifically looking for alternative transmissions.
She was familiar with this, the syndicate used them as well as non-Federation traders. The kind of people you don't want to encounter in a nebula.
Lorana: I don't want to be too bold, Captain. :: Beat:: I think we're not the only ones playing in this sandbox?
She transferred the mapping data, along with the suspected pathways in the nebula to Adea and Yellir's stations. Bringing up the larger map at her console, standing from her seat to indicate to the map, as she waited for them to digest the information.
Adea/Yellir: Response
Tags/TBC
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Ensign Luxa Lorana
Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240004LL2I've been a fan of @LuxaLorana since she came aboard the Artemis, but this is a really lovely "nothing" sim. My act three opener for our current mission was intended to communicate time and boredom, and Olivia has seized upon that and taken it to wonderful depths. I particularly like the note on Genkos' drumming fingers and how she has built upon it beautifully. Keep up the good work!
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This month’s poll celebrates the bottle show, a Star Trek production hallmark since the franchise’s earliest days. The term “bottle show” refers to an episode produced with a limited budget and a self-contained storyline. Such episodes are designed to minimize production costs by using existing sets and not involving major guest stars.
Bottle shows were prevalent from The Original Series through Enterprise. Producers purposely sprinkled these budget-conscious episodes throughout each season to free up dollars for more expensive episodes, such as those featuring heavy special effects, location filming, new sets, or big-name guest stars.
Bottle shows have largely gone the way of the dodo since the franchise returned to television in 2017. Shorter seasons mean less need to pad them out with low-budget episodes. In addition, serialized storytelling makes it harder to plop one-off episodes mid-season without disrupting the main plot. In the case of the animated series, the entire season is written before the actors are even brought into the recording studio, and there are no sets to build, rendering bottle shows obsolete.
A well-done bottle show serves strong storytelling and character study instead of flashy visual effects. When done poorly, however, a bottle show feels like pointless filler, shoehorned into a Trek season to meet the 26-episode requirement in the cheapest way possible. Some of the most disappointing Trek episodes, including “Shades of Gray” (TNG), “Elogium” (VOY), and “A Night In Sickbay” (ENT), were conceived as bottle shows. Unfortunately, this means the term has developed an undeserved reputation as a euphemism for bad.
Despite their limitations, some of the most memorable moments in Star Trek have come from bottle shows. The tight focus of the episode forces the writers and actors to get creative with dialogue and character interactions. Bottle shows are an opportunity for the cast to showcase their acting skills and for fans to learn more about their favorite characters. We have bottle shows to thank for Jean-Luc Picard’s chilling monologue that begins, “With the first link, the chain is forged…,” and Beverly Crusher’s meme-able moment, “If there's nothing wrong with me, maybe there's something wrong with the universe.”
Even though they’re a mixed bag, bottle shows are essential to the Star Trek legacy. They offer an opportunity to tell stories that might not otherwise be told. They force the writers to think creatively and the actors to flex their muscles. They can also be a refreshing chance to have some fun and make an episode that is pure entertainment, free from the constraints of the series’ larger narrative.
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Oh you're far too kind! It has been a fabulous mission and we're having a rousing finale
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Attribution: Yogan Yalu
(I don't want my name anywhere near this slander, and on her birthday! - Genkos Adea)
In The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway, “edited” by Una McCormack, the commanding officer of the USS Voyager writes of her years in the Delta Quadrant:
Reflecting back now on these cases where I had to make ethical decisions, all I can say is that I did the best that I could under the circumstances… I was out on a limb—a Starfleet captain without Starfleet. I could not summon up help or stop off at a starbase for extra supplies. I could not, for most of the time, even ask for advice on the decisions I had to make. (p. 151)
The Autobiography devotes five chapters to the Delta Quadrant. It expands upon many small details from the series and retells them from Janeway’s perspective. For example, she handpicked her chief medical officer, a longtime friend and former crewmate, who was then killed on Voyager’s first day in the Delta Quadrant. She writes, “I have never stopped regretting asking him to come aboard Voyager. He was a fine doctor, a good friend, and his death is one of the biggest regrets of my life.” (p. 181)
The book is also an apologia, in which Janeway defends her conduct and explains the reasoning behind her many questionable command decisions. There are examples of Janeway’s erratic, ill-considered, or simply perplexing decisions throughout Voyager’s run—isolating herself from her crew as they traversed the Void (“Night”), agreeing to sacrifice the Equinox and its crew in exchange for a reprieve from attacks (“Equinox”), and attempting to apprehend two Ferengi con men rather than transit a wormhole to the Alpha Quadrant (“False Profits”) are just a few honourable mentions. This poll, however, will focus on Janeway's greatest hits.
Stranding Voyager in the Delta Quadrant
Without our help, [the Ocampa’s] move toward self-determination would have been stopped before it had the chance. The Kazon were waiting to move in and seize the array, whatever it might cost the Ocampa. And I couldn’t let that happen. (p. 119)
Prime Directive issues aside, Janeway’s decision to protect the innocent Ocampa also smacks of the same paternalism for which she criticised the Caretaker.
Killing Tuvix
The Doctor would not perform the procedure, and therefore I took it upon myself. Tuvix died, and Tuvok and Neelix lived… Thinking about what I might have done differently will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. (pp. 132, 180)
The classic Trolley Problem has no correct answer. However, the fact that Janeway refers to Tuvix having “died” at her hand suggests she believes deep down that she committed a wrong.
Allying with the Borg against Species 8472
What the hell could destroy fifteen Borg cubes? This, we learned, after sending an away team to one of the cubes, was Species 8472, which, as we discovered from the Borg logs, had defeated them many times before. (p. 139)
Janeway’s decision to ally with the Federation’s greatest existential threat against a vastly superior enemy—instead of the other way around—feels like a short-sighted tactical error.
Promoting everyone but Harry Kim
My last act as captain of Voyager was to give him a long overdue promotion to lieutenant. I would have skipped a couple of ranks if I’d been able: Harry surely deserved it. (His speed of promotion since has made up for it, however.) (p. 182)
The argument that the command structure on Voyager was too fragile to allow Harry’s promotion just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Chakotay and Torres received field commissions. Tuvok and Paris were promoted, the latter after having been demoted. Even Ayala managed to outrank Harry Kim.
Changing history to bring Voyager home early
The admiral complicated matters greatly by revealing details of her future to me: twenty-three years in the Delta Quadrant (dear god, the prospect…!), the deaths of Seven of Nine and twenty-two others, and the horrible thought of seeing my friend Tuvok’s faculties decline… (b. 175)
Captain Janeway is steadfast against altering the timeline until Admiral Janeway reveals the untimely fates of those closest to her: Seven, Tuvok, and Chakotay. Changing the future because things didn’t pan out for you seems like a subject that would have been covered at the Academy.
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So last week we had the finale of series three of Star Trek: Picard, which is confirmed as being the last series of the reunion show. So I guess the question we could ask is… which season was your favourite? A general warning that although I will not spoil the ending of S3, if you haven’t seen Picard, this might be one to avoid.
Season One of Picard was all about ex-Borg, Romulans and synthetic life. We had the return (from the dead) of everyone’s favourite android, Data. The series dived deeply into his relationship with Picard, and how his death at the end of Nemesis had affected our favourite “French” captain for the next thirty years. It also included returning appearances from Seven of Nine, Bruce Maddox and an always popular Soong relation.
Season Two of Picard was very Q-focused, dealing with time travel and the Borg (not former ones this time) - and ended with a rather beautiful tribute to that conniving trial master of humanity. It also included returning appearances from Guinan (both Goldberg, and a wonderful impersonation by Ito Aghayere), everyone’s favourite Punk on the Bus and an always popular Soong relation.
Season Three of Picard was all about legacy and the “next” generation, bringing back everyone and their mother as returning characters, before pivoting, for the third time, to the Borg… again. It also included returning appearances from Tuvok, Ro Laren and an always popular Soong relation.
So there are three seasons to choose from, each exploring an aspect of the Next Generation in an interesting deep dive. But which was your favourite? After you've chosen, please do drop us your reasonings in the comments below!
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Quote(( Chief Engineer’s Office, Deck 15 — USS Artemis-A ))
It had taken some time to warm up to this new workspace. But so far, there hadn’t been very much to do in Engineering. Everything was running at peak efficiency, and there wasn’t much she could do here that couldn’t be done in her quarters for the most part, as well as done in the presence of her cat, Aster. There had been some thoughts to bring him to her office with her, but Hallia’s paranoia that he might fall into a plasma was always the one factor that seemed to hold her back.
But, despite this being a new office and all, she did her best to make it feel… homely? There was a notable attempt to make the space feel right, but she wasn’t one to over-decorate, after all, these weren’t her quarters. But there was always a sweet spot to look for when decorating an office.
Being sparse by nature, Hallia left the layout of the room relatively untouched. But there were a few little bits and pieces that she had added in. For one, sitting at the far side of the room was a little slice of a lounge. A small set of couches surrounded a coffee table that house a metallic-looking tea set. It had gathered a little bit of dust as of late.
On Hallia’s desk, however, sat a few little pieces. Three little figurines rested directly opposite the Yelikan’s seat, a gilded nova class and a matching vesta class right next to it. Along with those, Hallia replicated some spherical lamps to take up a little bit of space inside the office. To take away from the bareness that was an office space. Also, stashed away behind a bulkhead, as a precaution, the Yelikan kept a few spare uniforms on hand, as she was well aware of how messy this job could get.
Today, however, there was a palpable tension in the room. While it wasn’t overt, it hovered over the room like a dense fog. Despite being able to taste the strained air, Hallia… was fine. Two Ensigns sat opposite her, looking like they were doing their best to hold their breath. Having seen and heard how Commander MacKenzie had gone about chewing out many officers, she drew some inspiration. There was almost a theatre to this, and Hallia was doing her best impression of the good captain, trying everything she could to be effortlessly intimidating.
But the Yelikan didn’t have the same touch to it as Addison did.
The Ensigns before her were some fresh faces, they had been stationed on the Artemis before she was appointed Chief. The one on the left was Ensign Kisos, a somewhat tall dark-haired trill, he had a five o'clock shadow that seemed to be peeking through a fresh shave. The other was a Bolian, Ensign Aradin — she was a great deal shorter than Kisos, with the telltale smooth head. Both of these were Ensigns Hallia hadn’t directly worked with herself.
Hallia tapped away at a PADD, and perhaps to the fear of the Ensigns before her, she kept that ever so slight positive expression on her face. But there was a droning silence, as she occasionally glanced up at the pair.
Yellir: Do you two understand just how much trouble you’re in? Borrowing EV equipment, without authorization, depressurizing an airlock without permission and walking on the hull of the ship without so much as notifying a superior officer. Not to mention setting off an intruder alert upon your arrival back onto the Artemis. Do you realize what kind of trouble you’re in?
It wasn’t so much in Hallia’s voice— but a cadence of disappointment.
Kisos: Uh… no..?
There was a lack of certainty in Kisos’ words, almost as if treading himself on a frozen lake, carefully feeling out where the ice had thinned.
Yellir: If I were you two, I’d start talking. Or the next time you do— it’ll be at your court martial. Something like this? Goodness… you could get your commission revoked if you’re not careful.
Hallia wasn’t certain this was a court martial-able offence, if anything, she was gassing this up like telling a child a monster would eat you for not brushing your teeth. The Ensigns share a look briefly, and it seemed like there was some almost desperate glance that was briefly shared.
Aradin: We—
Aradin stopped, as Kisos grew more and more concerned. With a raise of her eyebrows, Hallia motioned for Aradin to continue.
Aradin: We-we weren’t trying to do anything bad we were just—...
Yellir: Go on.Kisos: ::quietly:: What’re you doing?! We can’t just—
Aradin: Just what? It’s stupid anyway! Why not just tell her??
With a clearing of Hallia’s throat, everything from the wrinkles on the foreheads to the whiteness in the knuckles moulded into a shiver.
Aradin: We were signing the scorch! It was just some silly bingo game we heard about.
It all fell into place, and Hallia for the first time in a very long time felt herself cringe. Her eyes rolled so far back that she nearly went blind. They set off an intruder alert and violated goodness knows how many regulations, all to write their names on the oldest unreplaced hull panel on the Artemis.
There wasn’t a response elicited from Hallia at first, it was several seconds before she felt the urge necessary to respond.
Yellir: Ensign Aradin, do you have difficulty understanding simple speech?
Aradin: No sir.
Yellir: Do you, Ensign Kisos?
Kisos: N-No sir.
Yellir: Yet— for some completely mystifying reasons, simply outlined regulations were ignored and blatantly disobeyed.
Kisos: I take—
Yellir: You will speak when spoken to Ensign. Do you understand me?
At that moment, Hallia’s demeanour changed entirely. A sudden shift wiped the vague ghost of a smile off of her face, and she glared across the table, straightening her back.
Kisos: Yes sir, Lieutenant.
Yellir: It is staggeringly arrogant to think that you know better than the very people who put those regulations in place. You ignored safety protocols, overrode and worked around functions that were made to keep air-headed Ensigns like you safe. If you two need a reminder of the basic security protocols onboard this ship I will happily drag you kicking and screaming back to the academy myself. Understood?
A slow and silent nod had been shared between the pair.
Yellir: You’re lucky to still be sitting here before me, count your stars that I didn’t beam you to the Captain’s Ready Room the first chance I got. If either of you ever again steps out of line, and I mean even a wrinkle in your uniform or the slightest scuff on your shoe you are finished. Do I make myself clear?
‘Anger’ was a weird way of describing what Hallia was feeling. Putting it into words almost made her frustrated in the moment. The irritation she was feeling was aggravating to say the least, as her expression began to slightly pinch, and her foot tapped against the floor to punctuate every word that was said. Her arms were kept still but Hallia felt her jaw clench at any point she stopped speaking.
In unison, they replied with a very simple “Yes sir”.
Yellir: For the next week you’re being assigned to Chief Wilkens to micro-clean the transporter pads, and Lieutenant Delri’ise has offered a catch-up course on security regulations since you seem so hell-bent on ignoring protocol. If I catch either of you pulling any more irresponsible stunts like these I will not hesitate to have you thrown in the brig. Dismissed.
It was a slow burn to watch them leave. The realisation as well as the presence of being dressed down by a superior officer— they were aware of what they had just done, but nothing about this felt good to Hallia. She felt awful watching what were two first-year ensigns basically crack under pressure as she stared them down and utterly ripped the pair to shreds. As the aggressions wore away, the rush of anger slowly faded, and the past few seconds of saying what came to mind blanked away from the Yelikan. Until they had left the room, everything beyond that felt like it was little more than the heat of the moment, and it was just as fleeting as it had came to.
As the pair left the office, Hallia breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in her chair. But she couldn’t quite tell if it was remorse or regret that had been on her mind. But there was an icky feeling at the bottom of her stomach, dressing down two Ensigns that were just trying to have a bit of fun seemed harsh. Yet it was the right thing to do and it came with the job description of being a department head. If Hallia didn’t put her foot down now, especially when she wasn’t just working with her whole team on the Excalibur, there was a feeling others wouldn’t take her very seriously.
As the irritation vanished from her face, she walked to her replicator, and with her normal cheery tone ordered something.
Yellir: Computer. One bowl of honey-poached figs.
TAG/TBC
_____________________
Lieutenant Hallia Yellir
Chief Engineer
USS Artemis-A
G239409EK0
I absolutely loved reading this - our normally delightfully cheerful CEO getting to tear things up. And a Blondie reference, what's not to love? @Hallia Yellir, great work as always!
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Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome!
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QuoteShe couldn’t help but think how bizarre the situation must look like to the new Ensigns. If, on her first day on the Excalibur, she had found Lt Commander Etan strapped to a bed, with Lt Seta and Dakora studying him on the side, but still chirpily welcoming her to the crew, she might have walked out and say she’d come back later.
@Jovenan being her sassy self
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Poll of the Month: NuYear, NuTrek!
in Poll of the Month
Posted · Edited by Genkos Adea
written by Christopher Caldwell
Alright, Trekkies, let's boldly go where many polls have gone before... but with a new twist! We're diving into the expanding universe of "new" Star Trek. For the purposes of this discussion, let's define "new" as the shows launched since 2017, beginning with Star Trek: Discovery.
We've seen a starship crew discover the far future, animated antics on the lower decks, the return of one of the most beloved Captains in Star Trek History, a ragtag crew of young misfits and even a return to classic episodic storytelling on the ship that launched it all!
Love them or hate them, each series offers a unique flavour and explores different aspects of the Star Trek universe. So, in your opinion which one takes the top spot? Make sure to cast your vote and, most importantly, share your reasoning in the comments! What is it that makes your chosen show the best? Is it the characters, the ships, the storylines, the connection to Trek lore, or something else entirely? Let the debate begin!