The Weight of the Mission

Posted on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 @ 1:58am by Captain Michael Murphy & Captain Jackson Adams & Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan & Lieutenant Commander Katja Becker & Lieutenant Kestra Ral & Petty Officer 3rd Class Valentia Ferrón

Mission: Home Sweet home.
Location: Starbase Conference Room: The Mission

Twenty-four hours later everyone was in the Conference room ready for the 'mystery' to be over.

Captain Adams was already present sitting at the table. It was interesting because you would expect a Captain to be towards the head but he never did that; not off the ship.

Yeoman Ferron had followed the Captain into the briefing room a respectable distance behind him and took a seat along the wall.

Steve entered the room overthinking. He had his uniform in order and a data PaDD between his hands. He poked into the room and noticed the captain.

"Morning, Sir" he saluted headed to an empty seat at the table. He sat quietly and laid the PaDD on the table, waiting for the rest of the people and the Admiral to show up.

Katja raced down the hallway, maneuvering between other crew members as she rushed to make it to the conference room before being late.

She rounded a corner and a whole flock of personnel who were lollygagging around, "Ach. Move!" She ordered and was rather pleased when they scattered rather panicked-like. Gotta keep people on their toes, yes?

She chuckled as her ground eating stride passed the group with ease, and finally made it to the conference room within the nick of time.

Katja slid into one of the empty chairs as far away from the head of the room as possible. She was small fish, and she was new...let others be the stars of the show as it were. For now she just worked here.

Commander Murphy arrived. He was used to being the first or second person to arrive for these things, but he had gotten stopped by an Ensign with questions while he was on the way. He settled into a chair next to Captain Adams.

PaDD in hand Lt. Kestra Ral made her way to conference room. It was time to meet her new crewmates.
She quickly took a seat.

"Well, I guess we will see what is going on real soon now" exclaimed Adams.

"The suspense sure helps keep it interesting," Murphy mused.

At that moment, the Admiral came in.

"Everyone keep seated," the Admiral said, matter of factly.

He paused for a minute and then continued, "The reason I called you back was because of the mission. Romulus has had a shift in power. It would appear a civilian government has taken over and they have declared anyone not of their people to be a waste of skin. Moreover, they are moving their fleet closer to the neutral zone. A couple of hours ago we received the following."

The admiral played a video. It showed a Romulan in a new type of uniform and he looked serious:

"Federation, move your ships out of, and away from the neutral zone. We are declaring your kind unfit to have rights to our part of the galaxy. If we see you, we will attack you. In short, we are coming for you. Fear the moment you see us because it might be your last."

With that the video ended.

The Admiral continued, "The reason you do not see many ships here is because we have deployed them to ensure that we have enough resources to combat whatever is coming."

He paused for a minute before continuing. "This is why I have brought you here. Captain Adams, you are ordered to stock up your ship, with whatever you need, and proceed at top speed to the neutral zone. You are to leave in four days. Once there, you are authorized to enter the zone and proceed to these coordinates." He handed a PADD to the Captain.

He continued, "Once in this area your ship will be Starfleet's eyes and ears. Please provide us with more information. It will take you weeks to get to the Zone and then weeks to complete your mission. Of course, this is very dangerous, so if anyone wants reassignment, let us know. Otherwise, come back safe everyone!"

With that, the Admiral left and the Montana Group stayed.

Steve sighed "Here goes the holidays" he murmured almost in between himself "Gotta tell Deb all this, she won't believe it" he said flipping his PaDD off and waiting to see if any other crewmember had any lead on the matter.

Katja chuckled darkly. She didn't know any of these people, so what difference did a snarky comment or two make?

A grin appeared on Steve's face.

"Thank Gott you all got a trauma surgeon assigned to Montana." Meanwhile inside Katja was feeling like she was facing her first Traumatic AAA dissection. It wasn't intimidation...it was fear of the unknown, plain and simple. She was going from San Francisco to the Romulan Neutral Zone. No easing in or anything.

Murphy sighed. He was disappointed, but he knew this was how things went sometimes. He knew that the Romulans were not a people to be taken lightly.

Murphy turned to Katja. "You're right. There's no sugarcoating it, this is a dangerous time."

Her parents had railed against her when she told them of her decision to join Starfleet. "You will be in danger!" They implored, but she kept assuring them that it would not be all that dangerous; it would be the biggest adventure of her life! And in her first assignment she was going to the Neutral Zone? On a brink of war, perhaps?

She focused on her breathing; this was what her training was for. "You do not know me, as I am a new face to you, Commander, but I am very, very good at my job. You could not have a better Physician aboard Montana."

"I never had any doubts, Lieutenant," Murphy answered. "And I couldn't be more grateful." His voice had an air of confidence.

Kestra turned to the Captain and XO "I am your new Chief of Science Lt. Kestra Ral" She bit her lip "Permission to come aboard Sir." She had wanted more excitement and adventures. She just wasn't planning on it being this much and this fast.

Murphy had been wondering who the new face was, but recognized the name immediately from the transfer orders he had seen the day before. He waited to allow the Captain to grant her the permission.

Captain Adams sat quietly taking in what was going on around him, how his crew was taking the information and, of course, letting the briefing sink in.

Then, when he thought enought time had passed, he said, "Commander Murphy, ready or not, the Montana leaves Dock in 96 hours. Please make sure everyone knows."

Murphy nodded, "Yes, sir! But we will be ready, sir. You can count on that."

Kestra sat ramrod stiff, looking down at her transfer orders on the PADD. Of course, they weren't completely without acceptance. The Captain didn't seem inclined to accept at this time. Was it because she was Betazoid, or the new orders they had just been given had consumed his thoughts? Of course, she knew the XO had heard her. By normal protocols, she wasn't permitted to ask again.

When the admiral had started the transmission playback, Kestra had put up a telepathic shield. It had been strong enough that she could barely feel the others in the room with her. It was easier to deal with news that way. She could deal only with her own emotions not anyone else's. Now that the shock was wearing off, she lowered her mental shells, so she sensed the others but did not read them.

While her people were not big on privacy, she had learned it and gave it to others.

Figuring he had given the Captain enough time to respond and would no longer be breaking protocol, Commander Murphy turned to their new Chief Science Officer. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant."

Relaxing slightly, Kestra looked up and nodded to the XO. “Thank you, Sir. I look forward to working with you and the crew.”

Lt. Ryan nodded a silent salute to the new officers, letting the senior staff do the talking.

Kestra thought she had 96 hours to get her department up to speed and wondered who she would be working with. There had been times she walked into mess and other time very well set up department. one just never knew.

"You'll find we take care of each other on this ship," Murphy said.

Kestra thought about his words and nodded slowly. A smile coming to her lips. "It would seem that serving on a ship might be vastly different than on a huge space station." She looked around at the crew sitting at the table . Whatever happens on this mission. They were in it together. That was a welcoming thought.

Looking over at the new Chief Medical Officer, the Captain said, "Yes, before I forget, Welcome aboard Doctor. We should get together soon and chat. I try to get to know all my staff officers personally."

"The correct answer is yes, right?" Katja said with gallows humor before becoming serious again. "Aye sir, that would be fine. Just tell me where and when; otherwise I have a feeling I am going to be very busy for the next 96 hours."

Yeoman Ferron suppressed her own visceral fear of death by cooling observing how the assembled officers reacted to the news. Some cloaked their anxieties behind smiles and mirth. Others focused on their duty. The Captain displayed an unconcerned air of affability with the newly assigned officers but she could practically see the tension in his neck.

"Alright," Murphy said to the assembled group. "We have our orders. Let's get to work."


OFF:

Captain Jackson Adams
Commanding Officer

Commander Michael Murphy
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Steve Ryan
Chief Communications and Operations Officer

Lieutenant Katja Becker
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Kestra Ral
Chief Science Officer

Petty Officer 3rd Class Valentia Ferrón
Yeoman