On the USS Aventia

Posted on 05 Mar 2015 @ 12:03pm by Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos & Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin & Lieutenant Aria Rice

1,646 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Aventia: Loading Bay
Timeline: MD45, 23:25 hours

ON:

The USS Aventia was a big ship. Far bigger than most, actually. It was a ship that had adapted well to combat. In fact, it was quite a battleship in its own right. With close to a 100 Marines on board as well, it was a ship that could handle battle and boarding. Lt. Commander Markos took a moment to just observe the loading bay, where she had requested all bridge crew to assemble before they got ready to depart. She smiled as she watched them arrive, a smile that said more about her confidence in this operation than anything else.

A Helmsman was the first to enter. Dark slightly messed up hair, but clean shaven and in a clean uniform. For Richard Holmes that was quite remarkable. There was a slight limp to him, a way he favored his right side over his left. He took one look at the temporary CO and gave her a nod, moving to stand by the wall. He seemed strangely relaxed standing there, but kept silent. This was his ship, the ship he had been on for a bit. He was confident with that knowledge, that this was temporary and his own beloved CO would return after a week's well deserved rest.

Rheneas looked around in awe, unlike the helmsman he was newly assigned, and he didn't know how long his service on this magnificent ship would last. "G'day!" he greeted brightly with a wave of his hand. While not a bridge officer, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet his new CO.

T'Vanna walked in, her pace sedate, her expression neutral like one was used to seeing from the majority of Vulcans. She felt ill at ease, leaving her daughter behind, a position on the bridge she barely knew. Did one Kobayashi Maru scenario really qualify her to serve as bridge officer? Seemingly, her departmenthead, and now CO thought so otherwise she wouldn't be here, would she? "Captain," she greeted calmly, her outward calm a fare compared to her inner turmoil.

"Ensign," Markos said, giving a small nod of respect as she watched her. It was something different. She smiled to the Aventia's original crew...it had to be strange for them.

Aria let out a whistle as she entered the loading bay. It was an impressive ship...bigger than the Nova by far. She nodded over to Markos, her eyes shining, and she almost bumped into a science officer. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it," Lieutenant Harlowe chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her. "Didn't know they did mustard this small."

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow before grinning. "Aren't you too tall to be in Starfleet?"

"Ha. Ha..." he smiled and offered his hand to her, leaning closer. He was tall, with curly blond hair and a beard. The body of a swimmer more than a body builder. "I'm Marlowe. Science."

"Rice, Security," she took his hand, shaking it before pulling back. "Thanks for lending us the ship...appreciate it."

"Just bring her back in one piece and my CO will be happy," Marlowe said and winked, pulling back and walking to stand with his crew.

As she approached the Aventia Dea had been watching the crew assemble from a distance. She walked up to the assembled group, "Dea Mialin," quickly introducing herself to Marlowe, "We'll take good care of her."

Markos watched the others for a long moment before smiling. "I am Lt. Commander Markos, your CO for this operation. I wanted to gather you here, my bridge crew, to introduce myself. We will soon be departing...I expect us all to excel on this. This ship's honor depends on us. We have the advantage in this exercise...it is a tested ship in trying times."

Aria smiled, watching the other woman for a long moment. Markos was impressive. She always had been, as long as Aria had known her. The underlying message was clear: fail and face her wrath. The smile did nothing to temper the fire underneath her words. "Yes, Captain."

Dea turned to the assembled group, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Mialin and I'll be the Executive Officer for this mission." Her expectations for the crew were just as high. It was her duty to ensure that the crew performed to Markos' standards.

T'Vanna said nothing; she wasn't sure if introductions were expected. They were all here to do their job, and not to make friends. Even though, of course, she realised that having friends was something that could work to an advantage. Instead of speaking up, she just looked around and studied the other crewmembers, feeling very out of place.

"So, does anyone have any questions or concerns?" Markos asked the gathered people, taking in their faces. Names, she had read up on. Faces told different things though.

"What are we to expect?" Rheneas spoke up, as he rose his hand. "I mean...these are wargames right? Simulated battle?"

"I suspect so," Markos said as she watched the man, closely. "It will not be real. Shame, real would have put a bit more of an incentive into it. So it will all be in theory and simulated. The results will be recorded...a lot of tactics. So any ideas, any dirty little ideas on how we win this will be well received."

"Cheat?" Rheneas chuckled. "This should be fun then..."

"We have the data on the Klingon fleet movement," T'Vanna suggested calmly, "Unless Chief Faye has shared this with anyone else but us?" And with 'us' she meant the Galileo's intelligence team.

"Cheating is such a strong word," Amynta said smoothly before smiling gently. "Chief Faye shared the information with the Intelligence Team. Meaning that we and the USS Galileo are privy to his research. Having said that, a report was put into to Command...but whether or not they read it is an entire different matter." She paused, studying them all before folding her arms.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to tell you how we are playing this. This is a war game. During the last proper war we were part of, before many of you were born judging by your smooth, carefree faces, we used every advantage we had against a ruthless enemy. This time, in these games, we will use every advantage we have. All is fair, barring capture and torture. Any edge we can get, any little idea...it is fair. We will however follow the rules of the game...but anything else goes," as she talked, Amynta seemed to get...happier. And it showed her true excitement about this chance. "So, if you have a problem, you come and tell me. Alone. Not in front of the crew. If you do that, I will wipe the deck with your sorry backsides. Are we all clear?"

Holmes watched her with mild disbelief before turning to the man beside him. He shrugged before nodding, turning to watch Markos again.

Lieutenant JG Avery Harlowe folded his arms, looking over at Aria and raising an eyebrow before looking back at Markos. "No problem whatsoever, ma'am."

Aria big back a giggle, nodding at the words. "That's the right answer," she whispered to him before straightening. "Yes, ma'am, clear as crystal."

"Actually..." Dr Fawn Azore watched them, with slight confusion. "Can I just ask, who are our enemies? The Klingons or our own allies?"

Amynta smirked, watching her for a moment. "We want the Klingons to lose. But we also want to be the best out of the ships. So cooperate with the lovely Starfleet ships but remember...we are on top."

"I bet you are," Fawn nodded before shaking her head. "I have a sickbay to sort out. Am I dismissed?"

"Yes, you are dismissed, doctor," Amynta chuckled, shaking her head. She had little use for a doctor on the bridge, but it was good to have one in sickbay. "Any questions, people? If not...let's go and get ready."

"Yes ma'am," Rheneas smiled, "permission to return to engineering?"

"Permission granted," Amynta said and nodded, her eyes shining at the prospect.

T'Vanna pushed away from the wall. "What time do we report to our duty stations?" she asked, "it is quite late..."

"Well, we are due to depart shortly. So...onto the bridge," Amynta said and clapped her hands. "Dismissed. Let us all get on the bridge and get ready to have some fun with this."

Fawn let out a breath before nodding, moving out the door. "I will be in sickbay. Making sure no one gets there," she said lightly to Holmes, making a point of jabbing her finger at him. "Accident prone."

Holmes chuckled, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes lingering briefly on the Galileo crewmembers. "Hopefully we will not be in any...trouble. It is after all just a training exercise."

"Yes...but these people look...I don't know..." Marlowe said as he followed them, easily catching up with his friends.

Aria looked over at Markos and Mialin, a small smile coming to her. "They're underestimating us. We will show them that's a bad call," she promised them and winked, before walking out with a soft whistle.

Markos chuckled as she looked at Mialin, with a surprising warmth. "Yeah, I think we're going to be just fine," she admitted, chuckling. This was what it was meant to be. A good feeling. "Glad you're with me, Mialin."

Dea nodded in response, "Thank you I'm looking forward to working with you. Let's go give them an exercise they'll remember." Allowing Aria and Markos to see her own expression.

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos
CO
USS Aventia

Ensign T'Vanna Murray
OPS
USS Aventia

Lt. JG Aria Rice
Sec/Tac
USS Aventia

Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin
XO
USS Aventia

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