A Round of Orders
Posted on 01 Aug 2022 @ 3:43pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Captain Corvus DeHavilland & Lieutenant Commander Lance Quinn (*) & Lieutenant Commander Cale Llewellyn, DSci & Lieutenant Louke Haille & Lieutenant JG Hannah Wagner & Chief Deputy Marshal: Ridge Steiner - FMS
Mission:
M3 - Into the Deep
Location: USS Pathfinder, bridge
Timeline: MD05 1215
1353 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure
The bridge around them was running smoothly while each of the department heads began to order and direct their departments. Calliope remained in her seat, having switched on the holographic mission display to work from. As she compiled the relevant parts she drew in a long, deep breath. She had the analysis which she and Lance had begun gathering from the wreckage, and now she had access to the sealed files on the Pyrryx. To plan a proper set of shipwide drills, she would need to do her best to absorb it. She shifted and got comfortable for some file reading, preparing note taking elements of the holographic display so she might be able to glean for the ship drill even as she read.
But, as she entered her first line she paused and side glanced at DeHavilland, wondering if she'd already prepared the drills, making her own efforts here redundant as well. Calliope’s eyes returned to her work. In either event, she would have to get completely caught up on the Pyrryx file, beyond the executive summary. If Corvus had made plans, she’d announce them in her own time. If she hadn’t, Calliope would have some ready to propose soon enough.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Corvus turned and leaned towards Calliope, “I’m concerned for this crew,” she said quietly. “Outside the Alpha shift. These are seasoned Department Heads and the like. My concern is the green officers that were only cadets last month against the Pyrryx. The few minutes it takes to get the main shift on the bridge could be the difference between survival or not.”
Ever since Corvus had seen what the Pyrryx could do she’d been terrified to be toe to toe with them alone. When the Admiral had sent her in what amounted to a Pyrryx as a floating target drone, it had only made her fear that much worse. But she was the Captain, and that wasn’t something she could show here. All she could show was concern and preparedness. Preparedness that started with the basics - drills. This crew had to move as a well-oiled machine, alpha shift or not.
"I'll drill the other bridge crew shifts in the holodeck between their duties," Calliope promised. "And as we get further out from home, we'll split the alpha crew into second rotations and keep some experience here at all times." Calliope thought back to their spacewalk and the nervous crewman she'd later learned hadn't made the trek. Corvus was right to worry. "We'll do our best to prepare," she reassured.
DeHavilland looked past Calliope at Major Finn lurking by the bulkhead on the starboard side, arms folded looking about warily as if this lot was something to be worried about. Part of her wanted to tell him that; that there was no way anyone here posed a danger but she was quickly set straight by the memory of the feed she’d watched. Of a Pyrryx warrior breaking a Vulcan martial arts master as if he were nothing. It made her want Finn just a bit closer, and maybe with some friends.
“It needs to be our number one priority, Calli… C-Commander,” she cleared her throat gently. “Number one,” she repeated.
With a flourishing close of her fist, Calliope put the display away. "Understood, Captain." She intuited a volume behind the slip and another one behind the stutter. It was the crack in the surface through which the terror of the weight of command eeked through. She decided to shore up the break. “When I’m through with them, I’ll be the only one you can still call green.”
Corvus dared to let a smirk curl her lip and nodded, “Let’s hope so,” she answered.
“Commander Quinn,” Captain DeHavilland called out, turning back in her chair a bit to look at the Engineering officer who had brought himself to the bridge at her biddance rather than in the engine room where most engineers would have chosen to reside.
"Captain." Lance responded calmly, still just watching and waiting to see how this would play out.
“If it’s possible, please do what you can to increase the power from the warp core. You have the specifications from your readings of the Pyrryx, so make whatever shield modifications you feel are necessary and share that with the Theseus. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
"Ah, another miracle..." he muttered softly. "I'll do what I can with what we have. It would have been kinder for Commander Zayne to provide a few more details than he did earlier..."
“Marshal Steiner,” DeHavilland called out, looking over to the port side where the Marshal was standing, a little bit out of place amongst the Starfleet personnel.
Steiner turned towards DeHavilland on hearing her call his name. "Captain?"
“I’m appointing you acting Chief of Security. I would like you to prepare the security teams for potential boarding. Run whatever drills you feel necessary. Commander Zahn can share with you the specifics of who we’re potentially dealing with,” she explained, her tone sharp and demanding. He might not have been Starfleet, but he was assigned here and so he was going to have to step up.
"Understood Captain" He nodded. He had plenty of experience doing tactical entries serving high risk warrants. Defending against boarding was going to be a new challenge. For that he would need the knowledge and experience of the Pathfinder's Security team.
"I'll work with the Commander -" he nodded towards Zahn "- and Pathfinder's Security personnel. We'll work up a plan for your approval"
“Doctor Wagner,” Dehavilland rounded out, aware that the Doctor was uncharacteristically on the bridge instead of in Sick Bay. Corvus hadn’t really had a chance to meet their new assistant chief, but considering she hadn't heard anything bad about her bedside manner, she was already a step ahead of Major Mazur. “Prepare sick bay for anything. Who knows what we’re going to find out here.”
"I'll be ready" Hannah replied a gentle smile hovering at her lips.
“Commander Llewellyn.” Calliope stood from her seat, following on Corvus’ momentum of departmental direction. “Now that we’re underway, let me get you up to speed.” He seemed to her to have been self conscious after his eager introduction, and from what she could tell, diplomatically managing himself with some busywork while waiting for more guidance. “Lt. Haille, we will also need your expertise on the sensor adjustments. If you could both arrange for your stations here to be covered and meet with me in the primary science lab in about fifteen minutes?” Calliope wasn’t going to admit it, but she didn't call them both away immediately mostly because she didn’t want to be in a tubolift with two men if she could help it, but another prime factor being she needed a chance to replicate a lunch wrap and squirrel it into her face on the way.
"Of course, Commander. I'll have someone replace me in a few moments. Science specialist...Horvath, report to the bridge immediately...please," he said after tapping his combadge. Remembering to be as polite as possible, since they still didn't know him yet.
Likewise, Louke was scanning over the still new members of his department chosen for this venture and relying on memory alone to select one he thought was best suited to the task. "Aye, Commander," he called, contacting the chosen Ensign before unfolding himself from the Operations console and heading for the Science bay.
"Then I'd say we're ready to go if you are, Commander Zahn," Llewellyn said still not too comfortable with an Orion Exec.
"I'll meet you there. In fifteen minutes." Calliope insisted, exchanging a nod of permission with Corvus for her own dismissal. She exited to her office where her lunch machinations decided on some hasperat to accompany as much report reading as she would be able to cram in with the rolled slices... It was hard enough updating everyone when she was still updating herself.
