Upon Raven's Wings
Posted on 08 Aug 2020 @ 2:32pm by Admiral Zavareh Sepandiyar & Captain Corvus DeHavilland
Edited on on 21 Aug 2020 @ 3:49pm
Mission:
M1 - Emergence
Location: USS Praetorian
Timeline: MD (-1) - 1230HRS
2220 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure
It had been a long day, but one full of activity, the kind that kept the mind awake even though it was well past time to turn in for the night. Usually a good sonic shower could calm her mind, and get her relaxed so that she could sleep, but for some reason tonight she just couldn’t get her mind to shut down. Too many things going all at the same time, so she’d settled for a hot cup of tea and the latest astrometric charts under the viewport in her quarters hoping that between the soothing warmth of the one and the dull monotony of the other, that she’d be able to silence her mind.
Commander Corvus DeHavilland was the Executive Officer the Galaxy-class USS Praetorian, a job she’d held for the last six, and intended to hold for the next six as well. That was unless by some miracle Captain Dansby decided he was ready to move on himself. In that case, she was more than prepared to take the command for herself. She loved it here, she loved the crew and the senior staff and couldn’t think of a better Captain to work for herself. He was encouraging to her, determined in his orders and meticulous in his ways. A perfect counterpoint for her own aggressiveness, and quick maneuvers and after this long together she’d learn to anticipate the man and knew he’d learned to do the same. They made a great team.
Captain Dansby had recruited her for this posting directly, and despite her trepidation at first, she’d accepted. She’d been worried that her transition into the role on the Praetorian would go as poorly as it had on her previous command as Chief Tactical Officer on the USS Challenger. It had taken every bit of her five years there to find a rhythm and the respect of the crew and staff. It had taken her less than six months here to do the same. Further proof to her that she was absolutely in the right place.
The Praetorian had formerly been the flagship of Vice Admiral Kaspar Isfahani, who now commanded a distant Starbase, leaving Dansby the run of the vessel so her arrival had been in time with other major changes which certainly helped her transition in. But since then they’d seen considerable action, tangling with the Tzenkethi on several occasions as their patrol was along their borders, reinforcing out of Starbase 621. The attacks seemed to be getting worse in the area lately, but at the same time, the Tzenkethi appeared to have determined the Praetorian was more trouble than it was worth and generally avoided contact with them. The last three times they’d been summoned to support another Starfleet vessel had seen the Tzenkethi contingent attacking them warp out the minute that they arrived. Maybe that was jus because they were a Galaxy-class and carried a wallop of their own, or maybe they were just that afraid of Dansby. Either way, it kept them busy.
Today had been a long day of warp core modifications per Starfleet’s request, specifically meant to give extra power to the weapons and shields in handling the Tzekethi’s promo matter technology. Engineering wasn’t her strongest suit, but she had a gift for higher maths which she found certainly helped bridge the gaps in her understanding. To that end she’d spent the last three days with Chief Taralk manning the modifications and reporting that back to Starfleet. They were finished now, but all the myriad of changes and their ramifications ship wide were parading through her mind leaving her to slowly turn them off one by one with her quiet stellar cartographic meditation.
It was a trick she’d learned back on the Zhukov. Her parents had served as the resident stellar cartographers aboard the ship, and regularly had the days reports and readings about their quarters. Anytime she couldn’t sleep or just needed something to quiet her mind, she picked one up and it did the trick. To a certain degree they were just comfortable as her parents had raised her on the subject from the moment she was born. But they were also mind-numbingly boring, which certainly helped as well.
Sipping her tea, she looked at the ancient clock on her desk, a relic of the 19th century she’d found in a curio shop in Calais on shore leave years ago and saw it read 12:30am. She sighed, she hated being up this late. The Alpha shift invariably drug on into the Beta shift and she didn’t like doing that on only a few hours of sleep. Not with the modifications so fresh and the Tzenkethi always lurking nearby, but she knew she wasn’t likely to get any sleep in her current state. She’d end up just laying there staring up at the ceiling for the rest of the night. Short of finding Doctor Marks and getting a hypo to sleep, this was the only option. So she tried to tune the time out of her mind and refocus on the astrometric readings, taking another hopeful sip of tea.
She’d only just gotten focused on the report when the terminal on her desk chimed. Confused, she looked at it, expecting to hear Ensign Potters chime in over the comm, but nothing happened. Her desk simply chipped again. Shaking her head, she put her PaDD and tea cup down and went to her desk, sitting into her chair with a curious expression and looking to the terminal. It read: Incoming Transmission - Activate?. She frowned at it. Who would be able to hit her terminal directly without going through the bridge? As soon as she thought of that she blanched slightly and adjusted her uniform that she’d unzipped and let hang loose. She adjusted her collar, sat upright and tapped the control.
The screen came to life but it was of an empty desk, but one clearly on a Starship. She could see the reflection of stars zipping past on the knick knacks behind the desk. Corvus was just about to say something to whoever was on the other side when a tea cup appeared in front of the terminal followed by a four-star Admiral who sat down into the chair heavily and looked to her. She turned a shade of white and swallowed the massive lump that had just appeared in her throat. The man was much older than her with graying hair, a bald pate and thin glasses perched on his nose. Corvus knew who he was on sight, not because she’d met him before, but because anyone in the 9th Fleet knew who the man was. He was one of the three four-star Admiral’s in their slice of Starfleet, Admiral Sepandiyar, of the Alexander.
“Good morning, Admiral,” she declared quickly.
“Commander DeHavilland,” he nodded, “I apologize for bothering you at such a late hour,” he declared, “I’m afraid Admiral DuLac was unable to make contact as planned, and by the time I received the request to do so it was already late. I did not wish this to wait any longer,” he said, taking a moment to look her over, “I did not wake you?”
She gave a slight smirk in reply, “No, Admiral. My mind’s awake, was just trying some meditation to quiet it down.”
“I see,” he replied, “Unfortunately, what I am about to say is not likely to help you on that front,” he shook his head.
“What can I do for you, Admiral?” She asked, feeling more nervous than she could remember feeling before. She wasn’t quite sure why; she’d handled all manner of conflicts, negotiations and even first contacts. How was it an Admiral she’d never met had her heart fluttering like a Cadet stepping foot on her first assignment? And why in the hell was he calling her, and not Captain Dansby? “I’m sure Captain Dansby’s available if you’d like me to wake him, sir.”
Sepandiyar didn’t answer, he just worked the terminal on his side sending the relevant data through the connection to her terminal and waited for her response.
Corvus looked awkwardly back as the data he sent resolved and came on her screen showing a Stardock class Starbase, which itself was nothing abnormal, they were all over Federation space. Of course, that was until she read the coordinates and the designation - SB-201. Her jaw slacked, “Obsidian Command!” She declared in awe, “It’s… re-emerged?” She asked incredulously.
“One week ago, the USS Vesta utilized its slipstream drive to breach the voids quantum barrier. By enlarging their warp field, they were able to pull the station from the void, returning it to normal space,” the Admiral answered. “The Joint Fleet Command has kept it under wraps until we could confirm that the void will not reopen. Since then we have been providing supplies and personnel to the Starbase with the intent of returning it to full working order as Obsidian Fleet’s headquarters.”
In awe, she surveyed the schematics as well as the data acquired regarding where the Stardock had been these last few years. She wasn’t sure of all the details but the void they’d been pulled into seemed to have been sealed and the base seemed to be stable and exactly where it’d been before, in orbit of Obsidian III in the Loki sector.
“Every vessel in the vicinity with slipstream capabilities has been re-tasked with supplying the Starbase as quickly as possible. We cannot afford for the station to go undefended or undersupplied. Its return will tip the balance of this sector in favor of the Federation. It will not go unnoticed for long,” he explained.
Corvus had worked out the same in her head as she read the details he’d sent over. This area had been a hot bed for a while, throw in a new Starbase with the capabilities OC had and you were going to absolutely tip the scales in the Federations direction. The amount of firepower, the number of vessels and the sheer volume of supplies that a Stardock could hold could support multiple Fleet’s, not just 9th. She just nodded in agreement.
“It is of the utmost importance that Obsidian Command come fully online and be prepared to repel any attack, as soon as is possible. I am issuing transfer orders, effective immediately, to Obs-.”
“Admiral, with respect,” Corvus cut him off, “I…” she chuckled darkly, realizing now why he was reaching out to her directly, “Admiral, I appreciate your consideration, but I’m not really interested in taking a First Officer position somewhere else,” she explained truthfully. Had he been offering the command of something, different story of course, but she had no desire to kill her forward progress serving as XO to a four-star Admiral. Command station or not. “Even on Obsidian Command, sir. I feel like I can accomplish more here,” she said, trying to smile but terrified deep inside that she was burning a once in a lifetime bridge.
“I am not requesting you take a First Officer’s posting on Obsidian Command, I am informing you that you have been assigned as the Starbase’s Commanding Officer,” Sepandiyar replied with a touch of annoyance at being cut off. “Captain,” he added, tapping his terminal once more and sending the orders as well as the promotion.
This time she let her jaw slack and didn’t correct it, slowly reading the orders and turning her gaze back to Sepandiyar. “What are my orders, Admiral?”
“The USS Cosmos will rendezvous with the Praetorian in nine hours,” Sepandiyar explained, “You will transport aboard and the Cosmos will take you the rest of the way to Obsidian Command. Once aboard you will assume command of the station and bring all systems online to full capacity. I expect a report on your status within forty-eight hours of your arrival,” he explained, sending more data across on the connection, “Admiral DuLac will arrive with the Excalibur within the week, as will the the Atlantic and Pelelieu. Your garrison vessels should have arrived by the time you reach the station as well,” he continued.
“Understood, Admiral. Should I expect the Alexander soon as well?” She asked.
“No, Captain. We are proceeding to the Aurellian belt. Admiral’s DuLac and Ehrestri will be your direct liaison on station,” he replied. Not that he didn’t want to be there, it was of significant strategic importance but at the same time so was their mission into the Desolate Expanse.
Corvus drew herself up more formally and nodded, "Aye, Admiral. You will have my report as soon as possible. Is there anything else, sir?" she asked.
"No, Captain," he shook his head, pausing to take off his glasses and look at her seriously. "Congratulations, Captain, and good luck. Sepandiyar, out."
