Fandom Star Trek: Vigilance (IC)

[Darkraven]

Episode 1: "The Two Sisters"​

"This is Deep Space Nine, you are cleared to dock," a female voice, meticulous and scientific, said on subspace.

"Affirmative, docking clamps primed, preparing to couple," an unfeeling voice of a man replied.

A rumble. Then a shake. Very soon, a ship aligned itself to a pylon of a massive starbase before asserting itself. The thing was, it was a sight that had been seen before, quite unfortunately. That ship was the USS Vigilance, sister ship to the very-recently missing USS Voyager.

"On behalf of Deep Space Nine, welcome. I hope that you'd enjoy our-" the female voice extended the mat.

"Welcomes and distractions are irrelevant under these circumstances. We look forward to working with you in the retrieval of the USS Voyager," the man said, still emotionless, still focused, far too much, on the task.

"Right. We'll see you in your briefing room," the woman said, pissed off and only barely hiding the fact.

"You do that, Lieutenant. I expect to see you and Commander Sisko in exactly 30 minutes. Commander Mercer Bradfield out," the man said. A beep confirmed his exit.

Quark's bar was more quiet than was usual. Business had slowed, with fewer people of all races drinking, chatting, eating or at the wheels of the Dabo tables.

More Starfleet and Bajoran officers alike were going out than coming in, as were traders and travelers alike.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to drown in a deep ocean of red ink," the bar owner, a Ferengi, lamented as he stared at the diminishing crowd.

"I'm sure good opportunities will come your way, brother," another Ferengi, Rom, tried to comfort him.

"Yeah, only for a Starfleet officer or Odo to take it away," Quark said. "I can't even sell a few beads of crystals to a young ensign anymore. I've lost my touch!"

"Quuuark!" a gravelly voice shouted, as if on cue.

Not far away, a Starfleet officer, was seated at a corner with a cup of lime juice, looking like he had just been sentenced to the Starfleet penal colony in New Zealand:

The truth was actually quite close. He had been posted on the USS Vigilance. The news came quite suddenly while he was on break. The next thing he knew, he was scrambled to man the damned ship, which flew off within the hour. He had just decided that he should quit Starfleet and join the Earth Cargo Service, as fast as his Martini-filled mind could make a decision. Now, he couldn't even bring himself to speak to the captain about it.

Oh, he'd tried alright. He'd gone up to the captain's ready room while the USS Vigilance was on the way to Deep Space Nine on maximum warp, resignation letter on a PADD brandished in his hand like a weapon. But when he heard the terrible voice and the door opened to reveal the Avian terror, he hid his PADD behind his back, marched up to Captain Ke'varr, all shaken, and stood at attention like a good officer. He barely managed to squeak a congratulations and greetings.

And so here he was. Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito's first order upon docking with Deep Space Nine was to rendezvous with a group of officers who had been assigned to the USS Vigilance as well, and to 'prepare' them to meet Captain Ke'varr, then join the briefing on the ship itself. According to the former-borg guy who happened to be his First Officer and second worst nightmare next to the Captain, the new guys had already been sent their posting details and instructions to meet him at the bar.

Well, at least he'd have someone to shudder in fear with.

Epiphany MechanicalSnake Obi-Wan Kenobi Error 420 The Prophet

 

[Epiphany]

The spectacle of Deep Space Nine hadn't worn off on Kimberly.

As space stations go, it wasn't especially lovely to look at. The strange, arcing hallways larger rooms weren't consistent with either the Federation standard nor with Galorian sensibilities and the xenostudies professional in her made Kimberly ponder what the architectural design process said about the Cardassian mindset. Worthy of future study, though probably not by a Kimberly. A Sam Series perhaps. She vaguely remembered one being on Bajor, or at least visiting once.

The dark-haired Junior Lieutenant in her blue uniform hardly stood out as she entered the bar. Seemingly human, Kimberly took in the room with its gambling section set among its dining tables. The bar promised a variety of unusual beverages that, were she not on duty, might be tempting to try. But the Junior Lieutenant she was tasked with reporting to sat at a table by himself. At least, he looked like his picture. The Starfleet bio hadn't communicated the evident depression and disinterest she saw in the other officer.

A story there. Hopefully one she'd learn in due time.

Approaching the table, Kimberly stopped a polite distance away and said, "Lieutenant Polito? Lieutenant Kimberly, reporting as ordered." Assuming he acknowledged her presence and didn't appear to object, she promptly took a chair next to him and, seeing he had a drink already, signaled a waiter to order one for herself. "New ship for you too? So exciting! I'll save my questions for when the others show up so you don't have to repeat yourself."

Then she peered at his drink and sniffed. "What did you have?"

 

[Darkraven]

The shy tactical officer jolted when the first of his officers reported. His lime juice sloshed in his cup. Straightening up, he cleared his throat and stood up. He smiled awkwardly when he greeted Lieutenant Kimberly. "That's me," he said. When Kimberly sat down, he followed, and quickly took up the PADD attached to his hip and scrolled through its contents, finding a list of names. He was quick to spot 'Junior Lieutenant Kimberly', though he wasn't so quick as to learn about the officers he was going to meet - he was too busy with his synthehol and moping to do it.

"What did you have?" the woman had asked. He slipped back into his barfly personality.

"Just lime juice," Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito said as he stared into his glass, as though the answers for his predicament were all there. "I wish it's something else, but I'm on duty."

Finally, he met Kimberly with his dry puppy-dog eyes and smiled awkwardly, though there wasn't much happiness in it. "I wouldn't be too excited if I were you. I don't know which ship you've been serving in, but I don't think this one's going to be the high point of your career." His eyes slipped back down to his glass of lime juice again, divining for a way to a happier life. No, it won't be as easy as just handing in his resignation letter - the First Officer had made sure of it.

 

[Epiphany]

Junior Lieutenant Kimberly gave an encouraging smile to Robert Polito as he commented on his drink order. "Me too. I've never been in Bajoran space before. I was hoping I'd have the chance to sample the local drinks but I don't think we'll have time for that."

When the other Lieutenant tried to adjust her expectations, Kimberly frowned instead. "Anything's better than being stranded at the Daystrom Institute. But why would you say that? The Vigilance is one of the new Intrepid-class long-range explorers isn't it? Some of Starfleet's latest in innovations are incorporated; we're among the first to test them out. What's not exciting about that?"

Finally getting served by a waiter, Kimberly says "Anything local please. Whatever the Bajorans like best!"

 

[Error 420]

The customers at Quark's bar would all very readily notice the two burly Klingon security officers entering, barely fitting through the door together. In between them, almost suspended off the ground by their interlocked arms is a red-haired woman known as Jack Keiper, otherwise known as 'one step away from permanent suspension'. The security officers quickly approach Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito. "Polito, right? She said she had to go see you. Please confirm, or she will be quickly removed from this vessel." Jack smiles and shrugs.

Darkraven Epiphany

 

[Darkraven]

"Anything local please. Whatever the Bajorans like best!" Junior Lieutenant Kimberly had said to the attending water, a Ferengi associate of Quark's. His eyes flitted left and right, observant, and he knew not to interrupt the conversation between the Starfleet officers. He left without a word to fetch the android her order.

Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito, had been nursing his surrogate synthehol all the while, thinking back to that one fateful moment when he was supposed to make a good impression on the captain, then to when he met the First Officer, and discussed his future, or lack thereof, in Starfleet. The wounds from those moments were still fresh, and bleeding profusely. He certainly wasn't going to have a good time on the USS Vigilance.

"You see, Kimberly, it isn't just about the ship," Robert raised his eyes again to meet Kimberly's - if he couldn't make a good impression on the two most important officer's of the ship, maybe he could make a good impression on the officers who would serve alongside him. "It's just as much about the people in it-" And then he paused quite abruptly, aware from some years of experience in Starfleet that what he could have said next without thinking would jeopardise him even further. Badmouthing the Captain and First Officer of his new ship certainly would be suicide for his non-existent career, and as Commander Mercer Bradfield had mentioned, his currently non-existent career outside of Starfleet.

"I guess maybe it's just me. I can never quite fit in, can I? Not in Starfleet Academy, not here," Robert said cautiously. "Anyway, once we've met with the rest of the secondary bridge crew, I'll have to go over a few things before you, urm, meet the Captain. Hope you have better luck than I did."

The Ferengi waiter returned, wordlessly presenting a tall cup of Bajoran Kava juice for Junior Lieutenant Kimberly.

That was when another member of the said secondary bridge crew came, hauled over like cargo by two Klingons who looked ready to shoot up the bar. Robert looked around at them, and he looked like a kid who had done something wrong.

"Polito, right? She said she had to go see you. Please confirm, or she will be quickly removed from this vessel," one of the Klingons said in a gruff manner. Polito scrambled for his PADD, going back to the objectives list, scrolling down to the profile with the right photograph. red hair, caucasian, human.

"Y-yes, please," Robert confirmed, his voice giving way for a second. Thank God he was Chief Tactical Officer, not the Chief of Security, or he wouldn't survive a single day.

The other Klingon snorted in laughter, but they soon dropped the new Starfleet officer, Ensign Jack Keiper. So much for good impressions, he thought. One thing did puzzle him though. He had seen the woman's age and rank. How on earth is she still an Ensign? But one question lead to another.

"What was that about?" Robert asked.

Epiphany Error 420

 

[Error 420]

"Oh, no big deal," the incredibly high-pitched Jack speaks, brushing herself off and settling down next to Polito. "Also, if the ship just sorta starts shaking and all the lights flicker, it's probably fine. That's unrelated though, just a thing." She looks over at Piper, admiring not only the handiwork behind the making of her face, but also her face itself. Don't stare, Jack. That's rude. Jack abruptly looks down. She suddenly lights up with a smile. "So there's a mission? Lay it on me, boss!" She's very obviously eager to get down to business, and hasn't been on a mission in a long time. "I've literally forgotten all about it. What's the ship? What's the objective? Are there going to be space fights? How many... Sorry. Sir." Her bewildered joy quickly melts to solemn embarrassment.

Epiphany Darkraven

 

[Epiphany]

Ferengi weren't common in her part of space but Kimberly had met one before, and Kimberly #272 used to have one as a regular in her cafe out past Epsilon Indi near Andorian space. As such, Kimberly #49 managed to avoid staring in open curiosity and instead focused on the conversation at hand.

What had he meant to say? Several dozen probabilities floated behind her eyes and those with excellent attention to detail might notice the faintest of white light flickering through the front of her uniform, square with her breastbone.

"I'm no stranger to needing to fit in," she said, offering him a sympathetic smile. "It took years to be accepted by Starfleet, and years more to be given something useful to do. Even now, I expect I'll need to convince my new crewmates that I'm one of them. It happens with every command and I'm not expecting the Vigilant to be any better. Maybe that's not a bad thing. One of the things Starfleet prizes is its diversity. Isn't that what the Vulcans say? Infinite diversity in infinite combinations? So what if you're not like other officers? That makes you more valuable, not less."

By the end, she'd reached out to touch his arm, a gentle affirmation she'd picked up from years of observation. Kimberly withdrew the hand, folded both hands together and put them in her lap. At which point the Kava juice turns up and the human-seeming Android brightens appreciably, taking up her cup and sipping it slowly before smiling at her Ferengi waiter.

When she turned back, Kimberly blinked in surprise at the older Ensign being escorted in by Klingons. The look of innocence on the science officer was not remotely convincing. Neither was...well, to call it an explanation would suggest it actually explained anything. Instead, Kimberly stared at the other science officer with an expression of incredulity. Then she raises an eyebrow at Polito and says "Actually, I'd like to know more about our objectives too. But I'll wait for the rest of our crew to turn up."

Meanwhile, she turned to Jack and stuck out her hand. "Kimberly. Junior Lieutenant Kimberly. Nice to meet you, Ensign!"

 

[MechanicalSnake]

If there was one thing life on Vulcan taught Savir, it was the habit of always being strictly on time. Of course, fate decided otherwise exactly on the day when he was about to embark on a new journey in his career. The transport vessel he had booked a ticket on to cross the distance between DS5 and DS9 was alarmingly late already at take off - the explanation provided by the Captain involved an invaluable artefact, a Ferengi smuggler on the run and the dire need to search the entire cargo. No effort had been made to make up for the lost time and on top of that, a child got lost on board shortly before docking and the crew refused to open the doors until the boy was found. In his early life, all the children Savir used to know including himself were simply smaller versions of adults. Only on Betazed did he find out that this was not the case in most cultures. Typically, children were volatile, unpredictable, prone to causing troubles and they cried a lot. He wasn´t particularly fond of them.

When he finally arrived at the bar, Savir could immediately spot the small group of Starfleet officers gathered around a corner table. He approached slowly, so that he could attempt a hasty estimation of the company he was about to be introduced to. It was not easy to focus on selected individuals in a public space, but the bar was far from crowded that evening, which enabled him to get at least something:

Human. Resignation. Passive agression. Not a small amount of fear.
Human. Eagerness. Joyful recklesness. Utter chaos.
Unreadable. Possibly an artificial life form.

His right eyebrow went up in a sharp angle. Truly interesting, although not at all what he had expected.

Hands folded behind his back, he approached the table with a polite nod, looking the only male present straight in the eyes. "Lieautenant Polito? Junior Lieutenant Savir, reporting for duty. Allow me to apologize for my belated arrival due to unforeseen circumstances during transport. It will not happen again." Even though the general mood at the table seemed to be laid back, he would not sit down unless asked to.

 

[Darkraven]

Lieutenant Polito's table was buzzing with exchange and activity. Their youthful enthusiasm was almost infectious, and they could almost make him smile. Almost. But they weren't there yet, not like he was.

With Kimberly cutting in and putting herself in charge of Ensign Jack Keiper, he decided to concentrate on the other new arrival.

"Lieutenant Polito? Junior Lieutenant Savir, reporting for duty. Allow me to apologize for my belated arrival due to unforeseen circumstances during transport. It will not happen again," the other new arrival reported. Robert did the usual routine: checked his PADD, checked the time. The Vulcan turned out to be who he said he was, and the time, unfortunately, was just as honest. They would have to go in a few minutes - and as much as he wanted to stay in the bar for the rest of eternity (and then some), he had to return to the USS Vigilance soon.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Robert Polito): What am I going to do with myself? I'm stuck! Why must Commander Mercer Bradfield be so mean to me? Why, of all the captains I have to serve under, does it have to be Captain Ke'varr, that butcher? I wish I could just disappear into the crowd right now... But I can't, can I? Because life hates me the moment I am born.]

"I have no doubt it won't," Robert said, this time his smile turning rather sour because the hour was approaching. "Happens all the time." He looks at the PADD nervously, realised that there were two more officers unaccounted for, and too few minutes to wait for them. "But I wouldn't worry about it. You're quite on time, in fact. You should sit - we still have a couple officers who're still out there, somewhere."

He raised a timid finger and was about to mention that they might have to leave in a few minutes when he realised that the others were busy talking. He decided to give them their space, and he promptly sank back down to his chair. He took another swig of his lime juice. He took a quick gaze at Kimberly and Jack - and all sorts of thoughts were racing through him. How long would it be before they crack? Would they be fine with the current... circumstance of the USS Vigilance? Or is it just me? But it can't be, can it?

MechanicalSnake

 

[Error 420]

"Woah! That's wonderful! Such a beautiful voice, is that modulated or pre-recorded? Are you from Galor 4? Sorry, I'm Jack." She puts out a hand to shake with Kimberly 49, her face rapidly changing between feelings of embarassment, joy, and wonder, her voice constantly rising in pitch. She's obviously still brimming with questions, but hesitates to allow Kimberly a chance to respond. If one were to get an empathic read on her, they would find about a thousand emotions and thoughts running back and forth.

Epiphany

 

[Epiphany]

Jack's reaction surprised Kimberly, or at least seemed to. Certainly the widening of the eyes, the slight tilt backwards from the shoulders up, the raised eyebrows, all perfectly on point. So is the answering smile from the android which even gets the crinkling around the eyes just right.

"Always nice to meet someone who appreciates the engineering," Kimberly said in a dry tone. "Yes, it's modulated. We didn't have pre-recorded voices to work from so we approximated distinctive voices for each series. And exactly right, Galor IV. There aren't many of us out and about in Federation space so you've got quite the eye to notice. I'll remember that attention to detail." She then beckoned a waiter over while gesturing Jack towards a seat. "We may be a bit short on time so if you'd like something to drink, order quick! And then we can all get debriefed together."

The newly arrived Vulcan seems, on the surface, to be very Vulcan. If he made eye contact, Kimberly politely lost the smile and gave him instead a solemn nod of acknowledgement along with a "Junior Lieutenant Kimberly. Kimberly #49 for you, Ensign," she added to Jack. "Though as I'm the only Junior Lieutenant Kimberly in Starfleet, I'm not sure my numerical designation much matters."

 

[Error 420]

"Was that a real smile?!?" Jack suddenly asks, taking a seat next to Kimberly. "You have simply got to run me over your schematics sometime-I mean, if you want." Her demeanor continues to bounce back and forth, ending in a sort of blush. When the waiter arrives once more, her mouth opens to say Bourbon, but she quickly corrects with "Milk, please." As the waiter turns, she says "Earth milk, that is."

"From a cow."

"Earth cow milk."

Upon seeing the Vulcan coming to the table, she is taken aback, and begins to rise to introduce herself but notices he's in the middle of a conversation, leaving her in the position of half sitting and half standing.

Epiphany Darkraven MechanicalSnake

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Savir didn't even need to be a telepath to notice that Lieutenant Polito was desperately wishing for the liquid in his glass to turn into something much stronger than lime juice. The loud stream of the man's troubled thoughts cast some light on the reasons behind his pervasive desolation. Despite the dark foreshadowing that now seemed to hang over their future service on the USS Vigilamce, Savir's face remained perfectly indifferent. He was used to overhearing people's thoughts and knew very well that in most situations, acting as if it was not happening was a necessity. Moreover, what he had just heard was far from conclusive.

The problem with interpreting someone's thoughts and emotions was their subjectiveness. If someone, for instance, called their Captain a butcher in the privacy of their mind, it could mean a number of things. Either they had been a witness to the aforementioned Captain commiting atrocities not sanctioned by Starfleet, or they had a deep running problem with their superiors. The latter seemed more likely, considering the fact that Polito didn't like the First Officer any better. Xenophobia might have also played a role. After all, the Captain hailed from a species that was known for consuming the flesh of sentient beings until recently.

"In that case, I will order," he simply nodded, quite content that he had not been the last to arrive. Finally, he was free to turn towards the two women, who had been engaged in a lively conversation. "Lieutenant Savir. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." The human woman was suspended in an akward position that suggested that she couldn't decide whether she was going to sit down or stand up and, unsuprisingly, the rapid cycling of her emotions reflected her spastic behaviour. Savir made a mental note of that and before making himself comfortable, he flashed quite an unvulcan-like smile at his female colleagues. Humans tended to be more comfortable around him if he did that every now and then.

 

[Epiphany]

Kimberly naturally didn't experience emotions the way biologicals did. But her Emotion Emulation software told her she should be amused at Jack's reaction, and so that 'real' smile turned a little sly. The android gave a brief playful wag of her eyebrows towards Jack. "As real as yours, if for perhaps slightly different reasons. As for my schematics, I imagine Starfleet Operations, Engineering subdivision has them on file. If you'd like to compare them to the reality, I don't imagine I'd object."

Turning from the Ensign, the seemingly human Junior Lieutenant appraised the Vulcan and when he smiled, she blinked to show she was duly surprised. Then she shrugged, took her seat and sipped her Kava Juice. "I'm not sure who else we're expecting, Lieutenant," she said to Robert Polito. "Perhaps we should get started and anyone else who turns up, we can catch up? I wouldn't want to be late and make a poor first impression on our captain."

And then Kimberly gave Polito an apologetic smile, making it plain her remark wasn't intended to be a dig at his own unfortunate situation.

 

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

"No, nor would I," a new voice said, a crisp and formal woman's voice.

It came from one Ensign Imogen Thurstan, who had experienced quite a ride actually making her way to the rendezvous point with some of the other junior officers assigned to her new posting. Namely, some off-duty colleagues who had given her a rather... extensive going away party. Involving a significant quantity of alcohol, though not at Quark's. Perhaps they thought the ever-present Constable Odo would disapprove? She had drank enough to be polite, but she had no intention of making her first impressions while drunk. It was one of those strange situations where both options are the polite and impolite option. To leave the party to arrive punctually but possibly offend her friends, or to show up to her new posting late but indulge her friends.

In the end, she had it both ways. It was amazing how far a polite and patient explanation could get you, provided you were talking to people who weren't currently imbibing obscene quantities of liquor. She still had no idea how Irtud had managed to be both so drunk and so coordinated. 'A lot of practise' was his answer, but that only brought more questions. Questions she hadn't particularly wanted answered. Even when she knew she'd made the right choice, she kind of missed the buzz. They'd even had streamers and little cords of lights!

Spotting the group had been easy enough. A cluster of new faces wearing Starfleet uniforms was a bit of a giveaway. She took a moment to straighten her uniform, then made her way over. Internally, she wondered if any of them saw her, then decided that the strange-looking but kind of pretty Vulcan probably did, due to being a Vulcan. Certainly, none of them had given much indication of it if they had somehow missed the tall, pale beam of a Starfleet officer moving towards them.

After they all turned to see the source of the new voice, she spoke again.

"Ensign Imogen Thurstan, pleased to make all the acquaintance of you all." She gave everyone a roughly equal share of eye contact, a genuine smile fixed on her features.

"I look forward to serving alongside you all in the time to come," she continued brightly, still beaming. Her arms were straight by her side, and she stood with a mix of a straight back and relaxed, casual posture born of practised discipline. "Not to mention getting to know you, befriending you, sharing drinks with you, inviting you to my wedding, and naming my children after you," she joked, her smile morphing into something halfway between a cheery grin and a sly smirk.

 

[Error 420]

"Wow. Alright then." Jack did not take Imogen's last joke well, and still hadn't gotten to introduce herself to the Vulcan. Jack sits back down next to Kimberly, and looks upon both Imogen and Savir, inspecting them curiously. Androids, I can trust. People... she muttered, unsure if it was loud enough for others to hear. "Uh..." She evidently lost her train of thought, but quickly catches it again and smiles warmly. "I'm Jack. Jack Keiper. Ensign Jack Keiper." She extended her hands to shake, crossing them over so her right hand was towards Imogen and left towards Savir. "Hopefully that's everyone, so we can stop interrupting eachother." She giggled with this last sentence, trying to pull it off as a joke but not necessarily succeeding.

MechanicalSnake Epiphany Darkraven Obi-Wan Kenobi

 

[Darkraven]

"I'm not sure who else we're expecting, Lieutenant," Junior Lieutenant Kimberly said to Junior Lieutenant Polito. "Perhaps we should get started and anyone else who turns up, we can catch up? I wouldn't want to be late and make a poor first impression on our captain."

Robert responded by looking at his PADD again. His eyes widened with surprise. Time flew. His previous captain wasn't kidding when she said that time would fly with one's age. If he was anymore paranoid, he would have thought that he was infused with Chroniton radiation and sent forward in time. After downing the rest of his lime juice, making a rather pained face because of the sourness, he stood up.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito): Well, looks like this is it. Time to cross the river Styx, and this time, I get to be the ferryman. I hope I get them across - no reason why they should suffer like I did. Gotta watch out for the First Officer...]

"No, nor would I," a new voice said out of the blue. He was about to reach for his combadge when another of the officers came along. Like a Pavlovian reaction, he raised his PADD again to read who it was, just as she was about to introduce herself.

"Ensign Imogen Thurstan, pleased to make all the acquaintance of you all. Not to mention getting to know you, befriending you, sharing drinks with you, inviting you to my wedding, and naming my children after you," she'd said. Another fresh face, ignorant of what was coming.

"Nice to meet you," Robert Polito scanned her, and was getting mixed signals from the way she stood at attention, but with some slack so that she didn't sprain anything. "At ease, ensign." He stuck out a hand and shook hers. "You came just in time - we were just about to leave."

"Hopefully that's everyone, so we can stop interrupting each other," the other Ensign, Jack, said. Robert thought that her enthusiasm would make a good defense on the USS Vigilance, but he didn't think anything more of it. Positivity had its limits.

"Not really, but it looks like the others would have to manage on their own." He made a move to leave, but then stopped. Right, the stragglers, he remembered. They need instructions too. He pressed his combadge and it chimed. "Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito to all USS Vigilance secondary bridge crew not with me. I'll have to bring most of the secondary bridge officers to see the captain. Meet us at the captain's ready room if you're only going to be late for a few minutes. If not, proceed directly to the briefing room if you're coming much later than that. Polito out."

He didn't wait for a reply. There wasn't time. It was time to go.

"If you lot will follow me, I think it's time to see who you'll be entrusting your lives with," Robert said timidly, the very topic unnerving him slightly. He started towards the the docking terminal occupied by USS Vigilance. It wasn't far; as much as he wished it was, it couldn't be. "Following tradition and as a sign of respect, we'll have to pay him a visit - but there's just a few things you guys need to know about him. I assume you guys know who the captain is?"

MechanicalSnake Epiphany Obi-Wan Kenobi Error 420

 

[Error 420]

"Janeway, right? I'm a huge fan, I can't wait to get her autograph."

 

[Darkraven]

"No!" Polito shouted and stopped, his reaction more reflexive than deliberate. Ensign Jack's remark would have been trouble if the First Officer was around - the former-borg wouldn't take kindly to any signs of imperfection, or inefficiency, though Robert thought that it was all just an excuse, a smokescreen for... something. Commander Mercer Bradfield was hard to read, a fact made worse by how he never socialised at all on the USS Vigilance.

"Sorry," the Chief Tactical Officer apologised and continued walking. "Captain Kathryn Janeway commands the USS Voyager. Our mission is to find her. But you're close. Captain Ke'varr commands the sister ship; our ship now, the USS Vigilance."

"Any other questions?" He asked of the rest of the group as they approached the outer door of the docking terminal.

MechanicalSnake Epiphany Error 420

 

[Epiphany]

Kimberly watched Lieutenant Polito pull himself, and the group together and nodded approvingly at his thoughtfulness in leaving instructions for anyone else on route. In her years in Starfleet, not everyone was so considerate in her experience.

As the group set out for the docking terminal, Kimberly showed visible excitement. This was only the third starship she'd ever been posted to, and this time with the prospect of much more responsibility than she'd ever been given before. While Robert Polito looked nervous about the Captain, Kimberly was already disposed to like them given their willingness to use her for more than an Ensign's work.

"I'm afraid I wasn't given much information on the Vigilance's captain, actually," she said, choosing to overlook both the Ensign's remarkably oblivious question and the Lieutenant's remarkably emotional response. "I'm getting the impression he has as much fame, or notoriety, as the Captain of the Voyager. Who we will hopefully find in short order. Would you fill us in, Lieutenant? Ke'varr...I don't know that I recognize the etymology. What species are they?"

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Savir reluctantly accepted the awkward handshake with the Ensign; it was a practise he avoided if possible because the emotional transference upon hand touch was massively unpleasant. In the case of the red-haired woman, it ended up being twice as bad, since her mind was a swirling vortex of entropy, yet Savir would rather go through that than risk being impolite. Despite her cheerful behavior, there was something dark, solitary and untrusting about her.

After that, he barely had time to order and empty a glass of carbonated water (a selection largely frowned upon by the bar tender). With their latest arrival having been taken into account, the group was quickly herded out of the bar and towards the docks. The closer they were to the Vigillance, the more apparent Polito's nervousness became, making Savir privy to more of his depressive thoughts. This time, they were dedicated not to Captain Ke'varr, but to his human First Officer. The Vulcan was far from drawing unfounded conclusions, but he did promise himself to pay close attention to the command team during the briefing and attempt to read as much of their thoughts as emotions as possible. Finding out if their superiors could be implicitly trusted was essential to the mission.

Fortunately, Polito was willing to give them some more information about the Captain before they would meet him face to face and Savir shifted his attention to the conversation that was taking place out loud, only to hear his colleagues show an alarming lack of knowledge. Or was the remark about Captain Kathryn Janeway an attempt at humor? From experience, he would label it as sarcasm, but with Jack, he could not be certain. Savir cleared his throat, visualising the file on their Captain´s service history he had studied during his journey to DS. Yes, he was ready to shine. "Captain Ke'varr, Kraekiran Raven, a member of an avian species hailing from the Kraekira system. Age: 781 Earth years, effectively immortal. Formerly in command of the USS Soval and USS Akira, in this order. Received the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor, the Grankite Order of Tactics, the Order of Heroism, the Star Cross and the Starfleet Decoration for Gallantry."

 

[Darkraven]

"Right on the mark there, my Vulcan friend," Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito said, for the first time in quite a long while to be himself once more. Somehow, he had convinced himself that he was in control - or maybe it had something to do with the company? Their bubbly nature and optimism was transfused into him, the same that he felt when he met the ship's Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant Jack Kwan - though with the good doctor, he couldn't visit him as often because he didn't like the lollipops, or even the smell of it. The general aroma dispersed into the sick bay didn't help either. It made him feel like a kindergarten kid.

"I did a lot of read up on our dear captain," Polito said this with some bitterness in his voice. "He was a leader the moment he stepped into Starfleet Academy, and even when he became an ensign, then a junior lieutenant, then a lieutenant. He was on the senior staff from the first days onward. Not everyone liked him, but boy, do they all want a piece of what he knew. He was like a captain before he was even captain. It makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, considering his background..."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito): As a butcher, destroyer of worlds - Shiva!]

The group then entered a lift that would take them up to the upper pylon of USS Vigilance's docking terminal. While they ascended, he continued: "He's a Kraekiran, yes, and that makes all the difference. He's just utterly different from us - not just physically, but mentally. Then there's the history. I did some digging. Starfleet wasn't the first outfit he joined. I don't know why Starfleet chose to bury his past records deep inside his service file, under all those medals and citations he received, but it's all there. 'Plain to see', they said. 'Declassified', they said." It wouldn't take a telepath and empath to know what Polito was thinking and feeling.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito): The captain is hiding something- Maybe... maybe even Starfleet. The Kraekirans too, it must be! Have Starfleet lost its way, or is it simple espionage on the part of the Kraekirans? Why would they allow such an individual to enter Starfleet? I don't know why I even care anymore. As far as I know, I'm not Starfleet anymore, and Starfleet doesn't need me.]

"Do you know anything about that, Savir?" Polito went on, slipping back into his shell. It was common for introverts to break out of their shell, but in Robert Polito's case, he was the inversion. He had gone into Starfleet all gung-ho and starry eyed, making friends left and right, jumping on one task after the next. He was fine as an ensign and a pilot. He was quite a generalist too - helping out in engineering and in the sickbay. He chimed in on certain command decisions. He was glad to be of help. And then he was made a tactical officer. 'You need to get out of your comfort zone', his former captain had told him. She thought she had seen something in him, a leader. Five years later, he still yearned for that comfort zone, and his rank hadn't changed at all. And now, because there was simply no one else to fill in as Chief Tactical Officer, he was dragged from his favourite bar to do it.

He hadn't even gone on to the good part yet, the part that the rest needed to hear.

 

[Inactive User 002]

Varra was woken by her comm badge which she promptly smacked away in her sleepy daze. Slowly she opened her eyes unable to bear even the dim lighting her current state. Images from last night trickled back into her mind. So far all she remembered was drinking a lot at Quark’s and winning a small amount at the Dabo table. However after that things got blurry.

It took Varra a good few minutes to finally sit up on the bed. Varra could even hear someone humming in the sonic shower, realising to herself that she must have brought someone back. Doing a quick double take the room however, Varra soon realised someone had taken her to back to their home. Looking at the bed side table Varra saw the most hideous gilded antique clock. What was even worse about it is the time that was displayed, she was late for a meeting. Finding and getting her clothes on practically at warp speed she rushed out the door. In the rush Varra almost forgot to take her latinum but, she did leave her boots behind. In the rush to get ready she had put on a pair that looked like regular Starfleet boots in the dark. At least to someone half asleep and hungover, but in the light anyone would be able to see the black sparkly glitter all over them.

Running as fast as she could down the corridor of the habitat ring she felt dreadful. In fact it was less of a run and more of a lazy jog. Asking the computer where Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito remembering that he was the person she had to meet. When the computer responded back she felt sick to her stomach as he was almost at the ship. Having to double time it Varra almost through up especially after seeing the lift had already gone up. When it finally came back she shot into the lift as soon as she could. Booting out she saw a Junior Lieutenant and a group of lower ranking crewmen. She hoped this was the right person her voice was rough but she managed a simple introduction “Ensign Varra reporting in”.

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Savir tilted his head with curiosity as Polito directly addressed him. He was not certain what kind of reaction was expected of him, because the way the Lieutenant spoke of his Captain was non-standard to say the least. It almost seemed as though he was trying to warn the new batch of officers before their service on the Vigilance began. He wondered if the others noticed that as well, or if they were too short-sighted to catch all the nuances.

“I am sorry to disappoint,” he said with due humbleness, “the file I received included only the records of his service in Starfleet, which appears to be exemplary.” And it was not the Captain's Starfleet records Polito was so upset about, that much was clear from both his words and his private thoughts. The fear and disgust he felt concerned Ke'varr's pre-Starfleet history, which, admittedly, could indeed hold a lot of dark secrets. Saying the Kraekirans were not known for being a peaceful species was a gross understatement. “I surmise that the Captain is an invaluable asset, given the scope of his previous experience, which likely made his studies at the Academy a mere formality.”

An asset important enough to overlook past atrocities, perhaps? No wonder that the Lieutenant felt uneasy. But should one really be held accountable for misdeeds committed before being introduced to the Federation and its ideals, or should they be given a free pass on their way to rehabilitation? It was not upon Savir to decide, but he could imagine it required a thorough case to case approach. His thoughts on the matter were interrupted by a young female of a species he surprisingly knew nothing of pretty much shooting out of the lift. As she introduced herself, his superior senses detected the faint odour of alcohol and his eyebrow went up so sharply that its edge disppeared under his fringe.