Mountain Home Briefing
Posted on Sat Apr 22nd, 2023 @ 4:19pm by Lieutenant Callan Armidale & Lieutenant JG William Verhoeven & Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Vianola Paxidor & Lieutenant Lihran N'Vek & Lieutenant Rowena "Rena" Campbell & Lieutenant JG Aurora House of Kor & Colonel Galen s'Khev & Lieutenant Commander Ukram Gocx
4,001 words; about a 20 minute read
Mission:
Good Will Tour: Mountain Home [Part Two]
Location: Triton Seabase: Team Room
Timeline: MD22: 1000 hours
Max adjusted his tunic as he settled into the head seat in the Team Room. Meant to resemble the Observation Lounge in a larger ship, it failed so well as to be called a victory in failure. Even on its best day, the Team Room was little more than a table in a small room with a large video screen that only the half of the staff facing the screen could see.
Max had barely caught this in time to have engineering install a holographic projector and store the vid screen behind the wall panels. Max was a little early, enough that he enjoyed a full mug of coffee before replicating a second. With that mug in hand, he settled into his seat again, just as the doors parted to let the crew enter.
Lihran stepped into the room, a thermos mug in one hand with his carefully, hand-crafted espresso beverage and his PaDD tucked under his other arm. He was particularly picky about coffee, claiming that replicated could never taste quite right to him. He moved to take a seat, smiling and nodding to Max in greeting.
Rena was never far behind Max; she should probably just go ahead and work something out with StarFleet to be his yeoman, because she definitely felt like she did more like that type of work for him outside of his sessions. She arranged her PaDD, cup of tea, and some water she’d brought for the others on the table. She crossed over to the Replicator and ordered up some popcorn and cookies, and arranged THOSE, too. Then, she settled back down, taking her PaDD to review her final notes.
Ukram was next in, the large Klingon doctor seemingly taking up more space than he should. He clutched a cup of lukewarm coffee-he’d been nursing it all day, not quite having enough time to take more than a few sips. He smiled. “Hello,” he greeted the folks already gathered.
Lieutenant JG Callan Armidale and Ensign William Verhoeven entered together. William and Callan both in conversation about the newly minted ensign taking over from the departed Lieutenant JG Stewart. Despite Max not pressing charges against her for punching him, Starfleet had decided another transfer out was in order.
The pair looked up and greeted the crew. “Ensign Verhoeven will be taking on Lieutenant Stewart’s helm and nav duties,” Cal explained about the new young man in red.
Will blushed and waved cautiously at the assembled crew. “Hi!” he said, equally shyly.
Galen walked into the Conference Room in his usual manner. He did not acknowledge anyone present. He simply tossed a PaDD on the table in front of his seat which was to the right of Culver's and sat down. The Romulan was a man of action and rarely enjoyed briefings.
Was she last? Vi always ran late to these things. She had held her own security briefing and it had ran over slightly. She entered the room and looked as eyes met hers. She nodded and smiled quickly as she moved into the room further. "Mornin sir. Sorry for bein late. Security never rests." she joked and sat down to his left of Max, across from Galen.
Aurora had listened to everything from the shadows...having come in right after Commander Vianola. ’This is BONKERS!’ Aurora thought, trying to wrap her head around the whole situation.
Max looked around the small table. Anymore crew and they’d need a bigger room. “Alright, department reports. Where do we stand? Let’s start with our newest arrival, Lieutenant Lihran N’Vek, Chief Engineer. If you haven’t met him, see that you get a chance.
“After the Lieutenant’s report, we’ll go around the table?” Max suggested.
A lovely, dark green blush spread across Lihran's face as the room's focus abruptly shifted onto him. The Romulan smiled warmly towards Roman who quickly greeted him. He straightened up and cleared his throat, "Greetings all. It is a pleasure to be here..." He trailed off for a moment grabbing his PaDD, glancing at his notes. All systems are operational and functioning in Engineering."
Rena smiled. "Counselor Rena Campbell. Please remember to stop by for your fitness-for-duty assessment." She smiled. "After he is done, we're done with senior staff assessments! Thank you all for participating so timely!"
Ukram went next. "No major update from Medical, sir." The unsmiling Klingon shared. He looked around the room. He indicated that Will should go next, as Ukram was sitting next to him, after all. He sipped his coffee in a general grumpy, Klingonese way.
Will glanced at his PaDD before turning his attention to the other officers, nervously. "The engines are running normally. The navigation system is fine and we are expected to arrive at Mountain Home on schedule, now that we’ve adjusted for the delay leaving Golden Towers, sir," he completed his report and sat back down, his proverbial tail between his legs.
Max couldn’t help but notice the ship’s flight control and navigation officer was excessively nervous. “Well done, ensign,” Max said with a gentle smile. “We all recognize the difficulty of taking over a department on short notice. You’re doing well.”
The former Tal Shiar agent in Galen caused him to sit back and observe situations such as large meetings, that is unless he had to add anything. At the moment he decided that a chat with the navigator may be in order. Reports should be given in clear and concise manner without any signs of nervousness. An officer should exude confidence or at least that was how Galen saw it.
Rena noticed that the vibes in the room got a bit dark. She also noticed the Romulan sitting there, and beamed some good vibes his direction. She couldn't "read" him because he kept his mind blank - he must have some kind of weird blockage - but most people were receptive and it would help the others anyway.
"On the science end of things, we're checking the new species we secured the other day...and making antitoxins for everything we find, even if they don't appear 'dangerous' to us. We don't want anymore accidents like the Captain and I encountered," Aurora wasn't sure if that was everything the Captain wanted...but that was the main information she had...albeit not very flowery.
Max returned the smile. “Let me be the first to report that there will be no coastal exploring near Mountain Home. The thick stone base there only provides cave diving that results in cave death. The stones have some way of creating a natural transporter block that hasn’t yet been overcome, even with enhancers at very close intervals.”
Max paused as the holographic display showed signal loss as few as five meters into the caves.
“Fortunately, this effect drops off far above, where we will be enjoying the coldest weather yet. So, unless we have a scientific emergency, most of your people can be sent back to Golden Towers. Though I’d guess your geologist will be interested in studying the reason the stones have transporter blocking abilities below, but not in the city above.”
Callan already had his report ready. “Operations has been the proverbial pinball of the ship, outside of medical, of course. We’ve been directly assisting the science department, engineering, and to a smaller extent medical, helm and security as power diversions are up twenty percent among these departments since we departed Golden Towers.
“That said, that’s exactly our job, so report complete, captain,” Cal looked to Commander Paxidor to see if she wanted to take her time for a report without being the ass who says her name aloud.
“Yes,” Max agreed, also sensing the odd feelings of Lieutenant N’Vek and Lieutenant Armidale.
Feeling as if he had to make mention of it too now, Max added, “Welcome to Lieutenant N’Vek and extra thanks to Lieutenant Armidale for extending a hand to nearly every department to help either get them running or keep them running.”
Aurora gave a small nod and smile to the two, still trying to get her nerves to stop twitching.
Max nodded as he took in the table of officers surrounding him. This felt right, a table of professionals making their reports and now waiting for their mission brief. ’How long,” he wondered, ‘until one of them found a way to fuck it all up? Even me?’.
Max initiated the holographic display at the center of the table. “This is Mountain Home, our next Romulan city state to visit. They are governed by Senator Killik, a rather,” Max paused as he considered his next words carefully, “a rather complex, diplomatically challenging gentleman.” Max paused as he felt the table’s general consensus. None of them felt irritated by the descriptor, more than that, no one felt surprised.
“In two days, we will approach Mountain Home. Colonel s’Khev, Commander Paxidor and I have developed a diplomatic approach that we feel will, for lack of a better nautical pun, take the wind out of the Senator’s sails.” Max waited, but there was not even a single pity chuckle.
Aurora partially stifled a snicker.
Max sighed heavily, the crew really were - in a sense - walking on eggshells since the Stewart’s immediate departure. “I expected at least a pity laugh there, people…I work hard on these ‘dad jokes’.”
Again, Aurora coughed to cover a snicker.
Still, a room so quiet one could hear a pin drop. He looked first to the counselor and then to Vi, giving them both the least noticeable shrug of defeat.
Rena noticed his deflated shrug, and smiled. "Good one, sir!" She quipped, quickly, and then turned to Vi. "So, what's new with security? I am having a bit of an issue with the door lock in my office. Can you send someone up to look at it? Maybe I'll need engineering, but I think it's a passcode issue." She was just word vomiting - the silence had bothered her, too.
“Colonel s’Khev, would you begin the brief on our method of approach, please?” Max asked.
Galen placed the PaDD that he had been reading on the table. Well, it was more like an exasperated toss than a placement. "Once we arrive we will launch both the submersible and the fighter. Lieutenant Craig will be flying the fighter and will execute a rather dangerous flight plan which should have the proper shock and awe for the Romulans present.
“I will take command of the SS Triteia and have run on the surface with all the pomp and circumstance. This should add to the effect of the flyby. Along with the Titeia, Lieutenant Armidale and Ensign Verhoeven will take command of our tactical submersibles. Upon command they will launch a series of practice shots into the air. Should be quite the light show. When all is said and done our arrival with banners unfurled will have the Senator and the rest of the people in awe of what Starfleet and the Federation can do. This is exactly what we want, for my people respect a good show of force."
Max appreciated the ‘shock and awe’ concept of their approach, but there were other hopes in the room as well. Standing, Max looked at each person assembled. “If, at this point, one of you does not want to take credit for the candy man, I’d hope you might wander the hall and find him, or her…or it, for that matter. At this point, I don’t give a damn if it’s an anaphasic ghost who receives orgasmic pleasure from providing the joy of candy!
“Regardless, if whomever the candy man would be kind enough to supply maybe fifty kilograms of Romulan children’s candies that we can beam in safely above so it appears we are dropping it in good will, this would go a long way to both making believe this is no ridiculous prank as well as hoping to foster good will for Starfleet among this most ill-willed of Senators.
Aurora stood excitedly. "Captain, I can shed some light on The Candy Man's authenticity. He gave me his handkerchief," Aurora finally spoke up, pulling the handkerchief from her pocket. Aurora actually hadn't let the handkerchief out of her sight for longer than to have it run through the wash...carefully. She didn't even use it as a handkerchief...just a 'there are things in the universe beyond explanation' not to mention it was just too beautiful to use!
Max nodded. He had one junior officer ready to stick his head in the sand and another practically jumping up and down. “All right,” Max answered, receiving the handkerchief. He examined it closely, but there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
“Lieutenant, unless there are some properties emanating from this piece of fabric, for now that’s all we have. Perhaps some extra study in one of your labs?” Max suggested.
Aurora froze. "Um...ook, Captain. With all do respect, Sir, while I won't disobey and order...I'm only gonna do light scans on it...nothing chemical. Not that I'm superstitious, but...there's something magical about The Candy Man and his shop," Aurora blushed, hoping she hadn't just gotten into trouble again.
“The tactical submarines, manned by Lieutenant Armidale and Ensign Verhoeven will be loaded with plasma flares to be fired in coordination with the Romulan Star Empire’s former Planetary Anthem to be played live by the Starfleet Royal Naval Band.”
Max crossed and sat his rear end in the only empty seat at the opposite end of the table. “Let’s just address the ‘elephant in the room’, shall we? Lieutenant Stewart has been reassigned from Triton Seabase to a new duty station. Whatever occurred here, we still wish her luck at her new posting.”
“At this point, the situation has been resolved and we will move on as normal going forward. I have full confidence in the way we, as a crew, will present Triton Seabase from today and moving forward.”
Vianola had waited for the XO to speak before giving her own report. She didn't mind waiting and frankly she couldn't really talk about most of her work on the planet due some of the sensitive information some of it contained.
"Security is fine." Vi spoke rather vaguely. "I have a number of open investigations that I cannot go into due to their severity, but be assured that they are moving forward. If they impact your departments I'll let you know." Vi took a small sip of her drink. She hadn't came in with a PaDD, she knew all she needed for the meeting. "We are actively engaging with the population, their law enforcement and at the moment we are not exactly getting a warm welcome but its not Rura Penthe so that's something." She referred to the ice cold planet the Klingons used as a prison.
"As for your door, Lieutenant Campbell, I'd call Engineering. They should have fitted a bio-scanner on your door as well. That way when you come to enter your office it will recognize your signature and unlock for you." Vi added. "If you want me to issue you a new security code I can. I'd rather be safe and do so given where we are."
Rena nodded; she'd let Vi know later she was just simply shifting attention by the seat of her pants and that her panels were actually just fine. She looked to the Captain. "Sir, did you still need a speech or something reviewed? Send it to my PaDD, and I can bring in Mr. s'Khev on that." She helped the Captain with elocution sometimes, as a neutral sounding board and general Jane of all Trades.
Max nodded. “I have the beginning of a speech that I hope won’t fall on deaf ears,” Max answered. “I’m sorry to have to tell you that Senator Killik is routinely considered unfriendly, even among his own people,” Max answered. ”Anyway I would prefer we give Colonel s’Khev the respect his of rank and the honorary entitled to him, Counselor. Please leave the word “Mister” for in private.” Max had completed his own commentary on the subject. “He will be called by rank while on duty, anything less is unacceptable, do you understand?”
Rena nodded, and blushed a little. "I do, sorry. My apologies, Colonel, I recognize the hard work you've had to do to achieve such a rank. I meant no disrespect." She knew that Max had mentioned it because they needed to interact with the Romulan's very carefully. Things were still sometimes tenuous, and while her only intention had been to include him, she DID need to remember that she was on duty, and not even in her own office in a session, where formalities were less necessary, even for Romulans.
"How do we know so much about the leaders of the cities?" Ensign Verhoeven asked, though a variety of possibilities were already in his mind. Maybe it was a childish question, but he thought it a valuable one, for him at least.
Max adjusted the center screen display. A proper, slim and well dressed Senator V’trel filled the photo section. Turning to Will he motioned toward the picture, next to which a wealth of information appeared.. “This is Senator V’trel. He was our previous host at Golden Towers, before you arrived. Max adjusted the information one last time.
“This is an indicator of how he seems to have done over the last three years. His constituency find him reliable, protective - though, not exceptionally so - and quite,” Max paused to try and find the right word. “…rude, one of the highest debutants, unable to see what’s going on in his own city, much less in any of the other cities.”
Max adjusted the viewscreen. At the center of the table was the next image. A portly, apoplectic, green rosacea, moonfaced man had appeared. Everything had a large, bulbous quality, including his nose which seemed to pull his upper lip back and expose his teeth just at the center, much like a rat. “As V’trel asks us not to judge a book by a cover this one seems quite accurate, I think.”
”This is another large chapter in a volume of the Romulan tome.” Max adjusted the indicator for Senator Killik. “Over the last three years, the Senator’s constituency have found him reliable, protective and, yet again, another Romulan senator whose reputation precedes him as rude, uncaring, untrustworthy and dishonest.”
Max smiled at Will. “They publish their own annual reports, which are then inspected for inconsistencies and presented to the Senate where they are stored annually for later inspection. It’s my understanding that this is a tradition long handed down amongst the Praetorian government. Some of the original, Praetorian Romulan Appraisals of the Senate by their Constituents still exist in paper books, saved from the Hobus nova.”
Max moved back to his seat at the head of the table. “Imagine the task of assembling the greatest collection of written documents on your world while still trying to escape as well.”
“If anyone has any ideas how this one is going to go for us, please let me know how we can avoid disaster? We’ve still got two and a half days yet before we get there,” Max suggested someone might help him have this go any way but catastrophe.
“Why not simply dock Triton at Mountain Home?” someone asked, Max couldn’t tell whom.
“At the vast height of Mountain Home, standing at four thousand three hundred meters above sea level, I don’t believe we can dock any of our vessels at that height safely. No, we’ll be forced to anchor them far beneath us and Gods hope their and our transporters will work to accommodate movement from one place to another.”
Rena looked at the Captain. "You and Commander Paxidor may be better, but so far, I am only getting...stable vibes." She shrugged, trying to assuage Max's fears. It wasn't her best, but she was trying. Everyone else was dropping the ball.
Max smiled at Rena. “I suppose it’s my own fault for asking a rhetorical question, really. We will do this the same way we do everything…as a crew.,” Max explained. “If we can’t ingratiate ourselves to the leadership, we ingratiate ourselves to the people. It’s why I’m hoping someone runs into this ridiculous Willy Wonka who can produce a load of candy for the kids and adults alike!”
Max knew it was a long gamble, but he supposed if their candy man couldn’t come through, he could know someone else that would do.
“Alright…enough with the prattling on. Questions anyone?” Max asked.
"How long will we be visiting Mountain Home?" Will asked.
“We will follow the same pattern for visits,” Max explained. “One week at each city state before we move on to our next city state We do this because we can not stay any longer at one city state than another. Staying longer may imply disrespect to any of the previous city states we’ve already visited. Which is what we call a diplomatic clusterfuck…and me without my diplomatic officer,” Max joked and then remembered his audience for a second. “That was a joke.”
Aurora sputtered...trying desperately not to gafaw too loudly.
“To answer the second part of your question. I’d like each combadge to be retrofitted to carry a personal transport enhancer. Yes, I know there’s no such technology on this ship.” Max paused a drew a deep breath.
“When the time comes, I’ll give you the specifications for some modifications to the Chief Engineer. We can talk about those modifications in private, Lieutenant N’Vek.”
Lihran nodded his head to that, "Of course, understood. I look forward to the discussion."
"Understood and very good, sir." Will meekly smiled. It sounded like something far above his clearance.
“Any other questions?” Max asked the assembled officers.
"Probably eventually...but at the moment, I'm just soaking up information right now," Aurora quipped.
Vianola shook her head, "Nothin' from me sir." she replied.
Rena shook her head. "No, sir, Captain. If I do, I will come find you."
Max looked around the table, where no one else seemed to have anything to add or question. “Okay,” he said definitively. “If there’s nothing else, consider yourselves dismissed.”
Max placed his PaDD on the desk before him and deactivated the holographic screen for the crew. Of course there would be adjustments to the approach and additional questions, but those things would happen with two days before arrival.
Vianola nodded towards Max and rose from the chair. She moved out of the briefing room and headed towards the Security centre of the station.
Aurora nodded to everyone, then went back to the Cetacean pools.
As Galen stepped from the room, he thought that this would be the first and perhaps largest test for this crew. The people of Mountain Home were not going to make this easy by any means. He just hoped that Culver and the crew would be up to the task. With a sharp exhale, he headed for the bridge.
Max watched until the room was empty and he was alone again. He wondered if every city was going to offer some kind of separate emotional attack state. Golden Towers had been fairly simple. Mountain Home was shaping up to sound angry toward the outsiders. He could feel the anxiety of the entire crew around him.
It was time to lead by example, as hard as that may be.
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