Starbase 614, Home Sweet Home

Posted on Wed Oct 6th, 2021 @ 5:40pm by Captain Calypso Skyie & Lieutenant Commander Tyler Driskill & Lieutenant Mark Valleroy & Captain Natalya Markova & Ensign Danielle Michelson & Ensign Rene Rouen & Master Chief Petty Officer Samuel Ross

Mission: The Dexic Negotiations
Location: Bridge

The mental timer that Calypso had in her head was confirmed as the helm's console beeped the trill that signaled that the journey that would end up with them arriving at their destination was finally reaching an end in about ten seconds. Cally counted those seconds down to five, "Danielle, take us out of warp and go to half impulse power, please."

Pressing a few commands into the console she sat at Danielle called out "yes Captain."

The starlines shrank to dots and in the distance, there was another dot that was highlighted in the screen, "Magnify." Cally ordered Valerie, who dutifully magnified the image of a Federation designed starbase, a large one that sported four docking points on each of three levels as well as places for small craft to land and even an enclosed central section that was accessed by the maw of two huge doors that were open in the viewscreen.

"Incoming hail from Starbase command" Valerie reported as her console beeped.

The screen changed from the starbase itself to a Captain with grey hair beginning to edge in, "USS Chimera, welcome to Starbase 614, Captain Dagomir, Exec. We have you slated for docking slip three on the upper ring and are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Commander Skyie, I presume?"

"Danielle, take us in." Cally said quietly to her helmswoman, then smiled at the screen, "That's me, Captain, I presume that our arrival has been reported to Fleet HQ?"

"Indeed it's being done so right now, Commander." A slight smile crossed the Captain's face, "Just a few things before I let you go to make your arrangements. We have approximately two hundred various officers and and crew waiting for you when you reach the slip, they've just been sent their reporting instructions and are ordered to report within two hours of your docking. That should also give you enough time to disembark the Company of Marines you brought us. There are a handful of civilians that will be joining you as well, but you're going to require your officers to handle that. I've been requested and required to give you the compliments of Commodore Everly and her order to report to her at your earliest convenience upon your arrival."

'At your earliest convenience' was a phrase in any military organization that had only one meaning: 'Get your butt here right the hell now.' when it was directed at a junior officer, and Cally stiffened in her chair, "Of course, sir, I'll be over right away, I can leave the crew affairs to my Exec."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Commander, your Exec is to join you as well. There was apparently an incident from your departure that needs to be discussed. The Commodore insists he comes along as well."

"Of course, sir." It was the only thing she could say, of course she'd take full responsibility for it, because it WAS her decision. "In that case, sir, I'll take my leave to make the arrangements." She exhale and glanced around the bridge.

"Naturally, Commander." Captain Dagomir agreed, "Six-One-Four, out." His face vanished to be replaced by the image of the starbase again.

Rene turned to face Calypso. "I should accompany you. I was the...sculptor after all."

Calypso smiled softly at Rene, “As you gain experience, Rene, you’ll find out that when a flag officer requests the presence of specific people, you show up with only those people, you don’t add extras unless there’s a really good reason to. Besides, I’m the one who asked you to come up with something, then gave the order to actually do it. My responsibility, because I’m old enough to know better,” She gave a slight grin to Sam, “Bit too young to care even now, which will be the death of the COB one day,” Her attention returned to Rene, “Don’t be so eager to ruin a promising career, Ensign.”

The docking slip was approaching quickly now and Cally had to think and act. Finally she nodded and rubbed her hands together, "All right." She tapped the comm which announced with a series of tones, "Attention all hands. Welcome to Starbase 614, our base of operations. We'll be docking in just a few minutes so here's what's going on: Alpha Company, follow the directions of Gunny Hijani as you exit the ship via the docking tube, thank you for riding Chimera Transport Systems, please tip your flight attendant on the way out."

A second and a half of a pause, "All Chief Petty Officers and Officers will report to their Departmental Hubs and prepare to receive new personnel. I suspect we have about a half hour to an hour before we start getting our new people. All berthing and duty assignments will be made at the departmental hub. Report any problems to the Bridge immediately. Lieutenant Markova to the bridge please. Skyie, Clear." She ended the transmission and turned to the others.

Her hands moved quickly over her console and there was a slight shudder to the ship "docking procedures complete and airlocks are secure Captain" the Chief Flight Control Officer reported as she turned and looked back at the Commanding Officer.

"All right, signal 'done with engines' and keep us on standby." Cally confirmed, "Since Commander Driskell and I are going to be off the ship, normally I'd be handing things off you to, Mark." She gave a smile to Mark Valleroy, "As the current ranking officer on the ship, BUT you've got to get your own security section on-boarded. I debated handing the conn over to Rene, but you need his help too."

"Understood," Mark said. Turning to Rene, he said, "Well, Ensign, ready to get our hands dirty?"

Rene acknowledged Mark's question with a nod and thumbs up gesture. "Oui. Should be a piece of cake from this point on.

She turned to the Chief of the Boat, "Master Chief, I want you to pick three junior Petty Officers and head down to the docking tube. As soon as we get people started arriving, direct them to the proper hub location. Tell them that they'll get their assignments at that point. They do not pass Go, they do not collect Two Hundred Slips of latinum. Got it?"

"Roger that Captain." Sam nodded. He tapped his commbadge and contacted a yeoman from the administration division and set about the preparations to receive the new crew once the marines were off loaded.

She partially turned to the front, where the two ensigns still sat at their stations and made the decision right then and there, "Valerie, I want you to go into my ready room and replicate two sets of junior grade Lieutenants pips. I'm afraid it's only temporary, but both you and Danielle are going to be frocked as just that, Junior Grade Lieutenants. You two are going to be acting as department heads until I say so. I don't care if a full Commander walks in and tells you that they're taking over, until you hear it from me, no one else, you two are running the departments. Am I understood?"

"Yes Captain" the young woman flashed a smile and did as she was ordered. Cally was quite impressive and of course Val would do exactly as she was told.

Something niggled at the back of her head and Calypso sighed, "Sam, I have to change you up." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I need you to get those petty officers set up, find a good Chief to run the operation though, I need you down in Engineering to handle the arrival of their people. All we've got down there are a couple Chiefs and a pair of cadets, one of which has admittedly been handling the lions share. I need you down there to make sure everything goes smoothly, sorry old friend."

Sam acknowledged Calypso with a nod and conveyed to the yeoman on the other end of the communications circuit they would be in charge of getting the new crew to their various department rally points.

With a thermos of coffee in hand, Natalya entered the Bridge, passing her gaze over the viewscreen. It wasn't often one got to see a Starbase from this angle. "Ma'am, Natalya Markova reporting as ordered."

“Thanks for coming, and so prepared I see,” Cally smiled, then addressed the others, “Let’s be about it, people.” And everyone else began to scatter from the bridge, “Lieutenant, I’d ordinarily not do this, but the X and I have been summoned to the station and everyone else is about to be buried by incoming personnel they need to deal with. Since you’ve already got all your people settled in, I’m going to leave you in command on the bridge. We’re docked, so it isn’t likely we’ll be called to any action, and I and the X can be back on board within seconds if that happens. Really what I need is someone to sit here, doodle on a PADD and answer any calls that come in. I know you aren’t a watch officer, but I can’t spare any of the ones I do have right now. Up to it?”

Nat raised an amused eyebrow. "Sit around, look important, and let the actual experts-" she jerked her head in the direction of the Bridge crew "-do what they're trained to do? Sounds like a day in the life of a Marine Officer."

“Indeed, Natalya, and if anyone offers you a red fruity drink? Don’t drink it!” Calypso laughed, then leaned in theatrically, whispering over-loud, “The Fleeties have abducted me, send help!” An old Marine joke for those who’d been converted to the Fleet proper, usually bitching and moaning the entire way, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

"Search and Rescue at your disposal, ma'am." Nat replied with a wink.

Cally patted her on the shoulder, “We’re off, then.”