Post by Michelle Aekalu on Aug 5, 2014 2:30:15 GMT
USS Deimos
Deck 1
Captain's Ready Room
Having met most of her senior officers, Ana was taking a few moments to decorate her office. She'd had some of her belongings brought out of storage and the boxes were stacked in one corner of the room. She was currently standing on her desk, trying to affix a replica of a 19th century Imperial Russian Calvary sabre to the wall above her chair. She was holding the weapon with one hand, in the perfect position, when she realised she'd left the sonic driver on her chair. She was just about to bend down to retrieve it when her door cime sounded.
"Enter." She called.
The doors slide open and Michelle walked in, her hands clasped behind her back, long brown-black hair tied in a tail and a neutral expression on her face. The CO's official record and biography were frankly somewhat frightening. She was lightly suspicious the admiralty had chosen her specifically given that she had shot her last CO, just in case that sort of thing were to prove to be necessary on the Deimos. Michelle generally spoke with a Vulcan like tonal quality and with what her human friends described as a 'British-light' formal accent. She turned towards her new CO who was already holding a weapon, having clearly been warned. "Lieutenant Commander Michelle Aekalu, reporting for duty."
Ana jumped down from the desk and landed centimetres from her petite XO, sabre still in hand. Watching Michelle's reaction, she smiled and with a slight Ukrainian accent said. "Welcome aboard, Commander, take a seat, can I get you something to drink?
Michelle was generally comfortable around humans, even ones with weapons. Knowing you could toss them off bulkheads helped enhance her calm. Besides one never really got their own ship in the federation by attacking officers with swords. She stepped over to the proffered chair and took a seat. "It depends, what are you having?"
"How about some Carallun? I'm told it's a Romulan delicacy, a friend got me a few bottles, I'm sure there's one in one of these boxes somewhere." Ana replied.
"I must say I have never heard of it." Michelle stood and pulled out her hand unit and accessed info on Carallun and began scanning the boxes for some. "Then again I left Romulan space in a bit of a hurry when I was eleven." She turned still looking at the scanner and pointed behind and to the left of the CO. "It's in that one."
Ana pulled a clear bottle of pale yellow liquid from the box that Michelle pointed out. Then she took a pair of glass tumblers from her desk drawer and after opening the bottle, she poured two generous quantities. Handing one to the XO, she took the other, raising it to her lips, she said. "Budʼmo." Before taking a large sip.
Michelle took a swallow all at once, blinking for a few moments and thinking of how she would be laughed at in the Romulan fleet for how accustomed to human delicacies she had gotten. Or at least to French Toast and white wine. Not necessarily at the same time. "Nnuihs. So honestly I did not expect to be assigned to a CO with a record more 'colourful' than mine. How have you managed to not get drummed out?"
"Well, it's been difficult aclimitising to fleet life, especially after nearly 15 years as a 'guest of the President' in the New Zealand Penal Colony in sunny Auckland. Anyway I was given a choice, enlist in Starfleet or face several hundred more years in my 'palatial apartment'. I figured I owed the Federation the benefit of my experience, so I chose Starfleet and was assigned to a science vessel." Ana explained.
"Fifteen years. And from what I have read eleven since then in Starfleet, I would have been five years old on a small Romulan farming world at the Beta Quadrant end of the Romulan Star Empire when you first came to Auckland. That many years must weigh on you somewhat. I can say my few manage to do so on their own. Which life do you prefer, Federation law and order or what came before?"
Ana thought for a moment. "That's a difficult question to answer. I definitely had more freedom before I joined the fleet, my stay in New Zealand, not withstanding. I also enjoyed being a mother and a grandmother and I got meet some interesting people, not all of them friendly. Being it the fleet my life is a little more stable and the digs are better."
Before either of the could say anything further the chime sounded.
"Who is it?" Ana asked.
"Commander Verrill." Said a professional voice.
''Enter." The CO said.
The doors opened and in walked a tall woman with red hair in operations gold. Noticing Michelle, she turned to Ana and said "I apologise for the interruption, Captain."
"Not at all, I have to introduce you to the senior staff anyway."Lt. Commander Aekalu, this is Lt. Commander Verrill, my babysitter." Ana said.
"Nice to meet, Commander Aekalu, and I'm not a baby sitter, I'm the Security Adviser for the up coming mission."
Michelle nodded politely. "Praytell, what security matters so pressing will require a additional security officer to look after? Especially since we seem to have a perfectly good security officer already?"
"Well, it concerns our next mission, which I will go into detail at our senior staff meeting, but for now, I'll just say that it will take us into an area of space that is known for being a centre for criminal activity and some members of Command believe that certain members of this crew, namely myself and Lieutenant Solari, will be unable to resist returning to their criminal way. So tall, read headed professionalism here is to prevent that from happening." Ana explained. "Frankly, I'm insulted and Michelle, I believe you should be too. It seems they don't trust you either."
Verill wanted to assure them that that wasn't the case, but that would mean arguing with the CO in front of a member of her crew, and her training wouldn't let her do that. She'd have to speak with them separately later.
Michelle arched an eyebrow in the Vulcan manner. She had learned long ago that the more Vulcan she behaved the less humans distrusted her. It was old hat for her by now. "Well I have little experience with criminal activity, I guess I will have to fake it." She smirked, just the kind of expression that often freaked out any humans she had lulled into trusting her. "Until then what can I do to help get things underway?"
Ana smiled. "Commander, please liaise with the department heads and make sure they prepared for launch, we'll be leaving in 26 hours."
Michelle nodded and, clasping her hands behind her back in her practiced faux-Vulcan manner made a short bow. "Consider it done, Captain." She turned and headed through the door for the bridge.
Deck 1
Captain's Ready Room
Having met most of her senior officers, Ana was taking a few moments to decorate her office. She'd had some of her belongings brought out of storage and the boxes were stacked in one corner of the room. She was currently standing on her desk, trying to affix a replica of a 19th century Imperial Russian Calvary sabre to the wall above her chair. She was holding the weapon with one hand, in the perfect position, when she realised she'd left the sonic driver on her chair. She was just about to bend down to retrieve it when her door cime sounded.
"Enter." She called.
The doors slide open and Michelle walked in, her hands clasped behind her back, long brown-black hair tied in a tail and a neutral expression on her face. The CO's official record and biography were frankly somewhat frightening. She was lightly suspicious the admiralty had chosen her specifically given that she had shot her last CO, just in case that sort of thing were to prove to be necessary on the Deimos. Michelle generally spoke with a Vulcan like tonal quality and with what her human friends described as a 'British-light' formal accent. She turned towards her new CO who was already holding a weapon, having clearly been warned. "Lieutenant Commander Michelle Aekalu, reporting for duty."
Ana jumped down from the desk and landed centimetres from her petite XO, sabre still in hand. Watching Michelle's reaction, she smiled and with a slight Ukrainian accent said. "Welcome aboard, Commander, take a seat, can I get you something to drink?
Michelle was generally comfortable around humans, even ones with weapons. Knowing you could toss them off bulkheads helped enhance her calm. Besides one never really got their own ship in the federation by attacking officers with swords. She stepped over to the proffered chair and took a seat. "It depends, what are you having?"
"How about some Carallun? I'm told it's a Romulan delicacy, a friend got me a few bottles, I'm sure there's one in one of these boxes somewhere." Ana replied.
"I must say I have never heard of it." Michelle stood and pulled out her hand unit and accessed info on Carallun and began scanning the boxes for some. "Then again I left Romulan space in a bit of a hurry when I was eleven." She turned still looking at the scanner and pointed behind and to the left of the CO. "It's in that one."
Ana pulled a clear bottle of pale yellow liquid from the box that Michelle pointed out. Then she took a pair of glass tumblers from her desk drawer and after opening the bottle, she poured two generous quantities. Handing one to the XO, she took the other, raising it to her lips, she said. "Budʼmo." Before taking a large sip.
Michelle took a swallow all at once, blinking for a few moments and thinking of how she would be laughed at in the Romulan fleet for how accustomed to human delicacies she had gotten. Or at least to French Toast and white wine. Not necessarily at the same time. "Nnuihs. So honestly I did not expect to be assigned to a CO with a record more 'colourful' than mine. How have you managed to not get drummed out?"
"Well, it's been difficult aclimitising to fleet life, especially after nearly 15 years as a 'guest of the President' in the New Zealand Penal Colony in sunny Auckland. Anyway I was given a choice, enlist in Starfleet or face several hundred more years in my 'palatial apartment'. I figured I owed the Federation the benefit of my experience, so I chose Starfleet and was assigned to a science vessel." Ana explained.
"Fifteen years. And from what I have read eleven since then in Starfleet, I would have been five years old on a small Romulan farming world at the Beta Quadrant end of the Romulan Star Empire when you first came to Auckland. That many years must weigh on you somewhat. I can say my few manage to do so on their own. Which life do you prefer, Federation law and order or what came before?"
Ana thought for a moment. "That's a difficult question to answer. I definitely had more freedom before I joined the fleet, my stay in New Zealand, not withstanding. I also enjoyed being a mother and a grandmother and I got meet some interesting people, not all of them friendly. Being it the fleet my life is a little more stable and the digs are better."
Before either of the could say anything further the chime sounded.
"Who is it?" Ana asked.
"Commander Verrill." Said a professional voice.
''Enter." The CO said.
The doors opened and in walked a tall woman with red hair in operations gold. Noticing Michelle, she turned to Ana and said "I apologise for the interruption, Captain."
"Not at all, I have to introduce you to the senior staff anyway."Lt. Commander Aekalu, this is Lt. Commander Verrill, my babysitter." Ana said.
"Nice to meet, Commander Aekalu, and I'm not a baby sitter, I'm the Security Adviser for the up coming mission."
Michelle nodded politely. "Praytell, what security matters so pressing will require a additional security officer to look after? Especially since we seem to have a perfectly good security officer already?"
"Well, it concerns our next mission, which I will go into detail at our senior staff meeting, but for now, I'll just say that it will take us into an area of space that is known for being a centre for criminal activity and some members of Command believe that certain members of this crew, namely myself and Lieutenant Solari, will be unable to resist returning to their criminal way. So tall, read headed professionalism here is to prevent that from happening." Ana explained. "Frankly, I'm insulted and Michelle, I believe you should be too. It seems they don't trust you either."
Verill wanted to assure them that that wasn't the case, but that would mean arguing with the CO in front of a member of her crew, and her training wouldn't let her do that. She'd have to speak with them separately later.
Michelle arched an eyebrow in the Vulcan manner. She had learned long ago that the more Vulcan she behaved the less humans distrusted her. It was old hat for her by now. "Well I have little experience with criminal activity, I guess I will have to fake it." She smirked, just the kind of expression that often freaked out any humans she had lulled into trusting her. "Until then what can I do to help get things underway?"
Ana smiled. "Commander, please liaise with the department heads and make sure they prepared for launch, we'll be leaving in 26 hours."
Michelle nodded and, clasping her hands behind her back in her practiced faux-Vulcan manner made a short bow. "Consider it done, Captain." She turned and headed through the door for the bridge.
