Introductions

Posted on Sat Jan 26th, 2013 @ 11:59am by Commander Sakkath & Lieutenant Ito Tsuki

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Deck 10, Executive Officer's Quarters
Timeline: The Night Before The Hammond Launch

With a tap of the control pad recessed into the side of the ship just to the right of the hatch, Ito closed and locked the ship. She nodded as the telltales flickered over to the locked positions.

She picked up the standard issue Starfleet duffle, slung it over her shoulders, and headed out of the docks and onto the base proper. She'd gone through security before she had even landed, and then had stood by while an customs team went through her ship. Having been through this before she stood patiently while they did. And it didn't take them long, considering the Mary Lou was not a big ship. They had finally given both her and her ship clearance to enter the base.

The hallway dumped her out onto a large rotunda shaped room, with tables, chairs, and other items designed to allow one to relax. The type of furniture found in pretty much every type of waiting area. Looking around she spotted what she wanted and made her way over to a public terminal.

She settled the duffle by her feet and dropped into an empty chair in front of a low table. She leaned over and activated the voice input.

"Computer, this is Lieutenant Ito Tsuki, just arriving on station to report for duty. I need to report in. Where may I locate Vice Admiral Wegener?"

"Vice Admiral Wegener is not on the station," came the prompt reply.

"How about Commander Hawke?" Ito had studied the command structure of the station on her way here, so she knew that Commander Hawke was the station's XO.

"Commander Hawke is not on the station."

Hmm, both out. Who was next? "Is Commander Sakkath on the station?" she asked.

"Commander Sakkath is in his quarters."

There we go. "What are his quarters designation?" A moment later she was on her way.

It was almost twenty minutes later - the station was much bigger than she thought - when she found herself at the Commander's door. She took a breath, straightened her tunic, and tapped the admittance chime button.

Within, Sakkath sat at his personal terminal from which he could monitor base operations as easily as if he were in Ops itself. The wall display alone had consumed half of the free space that divided the living area from the bedroom within the XO's quarters. It was alight with all of the power requirements and fleet movements necessary to ensure the Hammond's safe departure. And then, looking rather out of place, there was a dusty old tome of Vulcan lore sitting on the desk in front of him, a replica of a sacred handwritten text on Vulcan that detailed several of their more mysterious, more intricate rituals.

At the sound of the chime, he stood and walked to the door, keying the entry as it opened to reveal the Lieutenant standing in her duty uniform. Though the Starfleet-issue collar of his Ops gold showed off his pips, the rest of his wardrobe was decidedly Vulcan - a brown robe, slashed with tones of desert red.

"Lieutenant," he said simply as he observed the unfamiliar officer before him. "With what may I help you?"

"Commander," Ito responded respectfully to the Vulcan. "My orders state that I am to report to the senior officer about Starbase 900 upon arrival, and according to the computer that is you. Lieutenant Ito Tsuki, reporting for duty, sir." She kept her eyes on the Vulcan's, but caught the flickering of displaying further back into the room. It took conscious effort not to look away from her superior officer.

"Welcome aboard, Lieutenant," Sakkath replied with a nod. "Your observance of protocol is quite appreciated. Would you care to come in? I'm afraid I will need to reference your particular orders. Given all that is transpiring, I have not been as attentive to the comings and goings of personnel as I would like."

"Of course, sir," Ito replied. She followed him back into the room, stopped after the door closed behind her. "My orders," she stated as she held out a data chip to him. Once he took it she settled herself down into a comfortable stance and took a surreptitious look around the room. She silently rose her eyebrows as she took in all the screens and the vast amount of data being displayed on them. Whatever the commander was doing, he was certainly being thorough about it.

Accepting the isolinear chip, Sakkath nodded toward the replicator. "At ease, Lieutenant. Avail yourself of the replicator and the sofa, if you wish, and don't mind my wife's orchids. Very few of theme bite." It might have been funny to a non-Vulcan, but Sakkath recalled a particular orange bloom that had been intended to do harm.

He inserted the chip into his terminal and perused the orders in the meantime.

Accepting him at his word, Ito made her way over to the replicator and called up a glass of water, then walked over and sat on the couch. She had noticed the flowers were very lovely, and in good health. She had a black thumb herself, but a roommate she'd had in the academy loved growing things, and had said that orchids were notoriously hard to grow. It looked like the commander's wife had a very green thumb.

"Chief Flight Control Officer," Sakkath read aloud, visually perusing the orders, standard though they were. "That is potentially fortuitous. Tell me, Lieutenant, how much flight experience do you have at the helm of a starship?"

"All totaled, sir?" Ito asked, more to give herself time to think than anything else. "Since I've been flying? Well, if you include all warp capable ships, such as shuttles, I've probably got a close to five hundred hours at this point in my career. One of my goals is to try and fly as many different starships as I am capable of. In my previous position as ACFCO at the Eagles' Nest I was able to get quick a bit of time behind the helm, picking up and returning dignitaries, supply missions, that sort of thing. I have always been a firm believer of keeping myself busy. Right now I believe I'm up to two hundred and fifty one different types of ships, both warp capable and not, that I've flown." She said the last with a bit of excitement, then calmed herself down. Now was not the time or place for that.

"You appear... enthusiastic," Sakkath observed, turning off the display in front of him where the orders scrolled. Sitting back in his chair he steepled his fingers before him, regarding the young Lieutenant. "I suppose some background is necessary before we arrive at the purpose for that inquiry," the Vulcan supposed, delving into a short but thorough explanation of what had transpired in recent weeks: the vanishing of Suresh, Commander Hawke and Admiral Wegener, the discovery of an alternate reality, the additional exchanges of Darwin, Aleksa and Faye, and the daring (if not particularly logical) plan put forth by Commander Leroy and Lieutenant Sukotav.

"The Hammond will be attempting the jump tomorrow, provided initial tests run smoothly. The mission is strictly volunteer-only," stressed the Commander, "as I cannot order anyone to attempt something so fraught with risk." He eyed the Chief of Flight Control for a long moment, as if appraising her reaction to everything that had just been said. "They could use a qualified helmsman," he added, open-endedly. He had no desire to pressure anyone into service, but the transit to another universe was likely to be ... shaky.

A lot of thoughts were rolling through her head as the commander filled her in on what had been going on recently on the starbase. If what he had just explained was a normal couple of weeks for the base, she had a feeling that she was going to be quite busy here. Then he got to the part about the alternate universe and the rescue attempt. She paid rapt attention as he talked about it.

Once he finished she did not have to think long to give him her answer. "Commander, I do not know the people who are trapped in the alternate universe. But that does not matter to me. I can't imagine not helping. If I was over there I would hope that someone would come after me." She sat up straighter in her chair.

"I volunteer for the mission, Commander."

"Commendable," Sakkath replied, reactivating his terminal and transferring a new set of orders to the isolinear chip. He rose, handing it over to Ito. "The more capable the crew, the greater the chance that everything goes according to plan. I am sure you will be an asset to the Hammond. Departure is scheduled for tomorrow morning, Lieutenant. I suggest you take some time to settle in and familiarize yourself with the ship before then. Dismissed."

______________________
A joint post by:

Commander Sakkath
Acting CO, SB 900

&

Lieutenant Ito Tsuki
Chief Flight Control Officer