Orbiting SB39 Sierra
Posted on 03 Jan 2023 @ 12:18am by Ensign Autumn Cole & Lieutenant Commander Remington Dodd & Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair MD, DVM & Ensign Liam Bäckström & Lieutenant Commander Samantha Smithson SB51 & Ensign Angelica Wright
2,452 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
S3 Episode 5: Diplomatic Incident/Hydaransz Again (Main)
Location: Various
Timeline: MD: 02
[ON]
With the Colonel having the bridge in the First Officer's hands Lieutenant Commander Dodd took over the bridge in the Captain's absence. Dodd took a review of the last PADD he was presented with the mission notes and the duty log.
"Lieutenant Smee, how are the communications channels? Do you have a lock on Commander Parker's team?"
"Sir, the channels are full of chatter and there is a firm lock on Parker's team's signals."
"Great, Thank you. Keep Parker's comms as your primary focus."
"Helm, keep the orbit steady and precise. Security, keep locks on all the away team signals at all costs as we may need to beam them out at a moment's notice."
Dodd then stood up as he was still adjusting to his role in command. He was used to constantly being in motion when in engineering. However, he had to portray to the crew that he was the man they could depend upon and turn to for direction.
=/\= Arderne, Engineering Report Please. =/\= Dodd requested the temporary Acting Chief Engineer
=/\= All good down here Sir. We’re ready for anything. =/\= Lamia’s voice came over the comms loud and clear. Though quite how she went from helping out in engineering, to becoming temporary Chief Engineer was another thing she hadn’t planned on.
=/\= Thank you, Lieutenant. Be sure to work with Nelson as he is the best assistant you could have while in engineering. =/\= Dodd replied.
=/\= Sinclair, how is the medical staff? Do you have enough coverage for this mission if things go south? =/\= Dodd asked of the acting CMO.
=/\= Sickbay here,=/\= responded Jane. =/\= We’re prepared for any eventuality down here, Commander. =/\=
=/\= Glad to hear it. I have faith in this ship operating smoothly for our portion of this mission. =/\= Dodd replied. =/\= Ensign Wright, please report the main bridge as soon as possible. =/\=
=/\= On my way, Commander. =/\= Wright responded.
In about five minutes time, Wright was on the bridge. "Ensign Wright reporting as requested, Commander."
"Great to see you. I want you to cover the helm as you are a pilot and I know you can handle it." Dodd stated to the young woman.
"Sir, I have not sat at the helm since I first came on the ship," Wright replied with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"You can do this, I have faith in you; if I did not think you couldn't handle it, I would not have called upon you. So please take your post." Dodd stated confidently to Wright.
Ensign Wright took her seat at the helm station and started to do her task.
"Lieutenant Smee, how long have you been on board with us?" Dodd asked of the communications officer.
"Not long sir, only four months," Smee replied. "I typically work the Delta shift so I am not sure we have had any interactions before, sir," Smee replied.
"Well, what is your speciality, Smee?" Dodd asked of him.
"I am an operations officer and cover communications mostly but would like to serve however I am asked to serve, sir," Smee replied.
A young ensign entered the bridge and approached the science station. Dodd noticed he was nervous.
"Ensign, what brings you to the bridge?" Dodd asked.
"Commander, Sir. I was to bring a report to the chief science officer and was told he would be on the bridge." Ensign Connors replied.
"Well, guess what? I will ask that you fill in that post until the end of this shift." Dodd responded. "What is your name, ensign?"
"Connors, Sir. John Connors. Ensign assigned to the Tomcat to work in the Science Division. My speciality is molecular biochemistry and subatomic particles." Connors replied.
"Well thank you for knowing what I was about to ask. So you are going to be my acting CSO for this shift and maybe the next few days if that will work for you." Dodd stated. "Glad you showed up when you did. Thank you."
"Are you sure, sir?" I have only been on the ship for a few months and never worked on the bridge before." Connors replied very nervously.
"You had the courses you need to be here, so now you can put the knowledge to work and get the experience while you can," Dodd stated.
The lift moved upwards and then the door opened, and she stepped onto the bridge. Her eyes widened as she watched what was going on, then were drawn towards Dodd, "Permission to come onto the bridge sir." she called out, not leaving the lift until she got permission.
"Permission granted, Ensign," Dodd replied. "What brings you to the brain of the ship?"
Autumn stepped out of the lift, the doors swishing closed behind her. "Well I hadn't gotten a chance to see the bridge yet so I wanted to see it with my own two eyes, Sir." Autumn gave a smile. She moved to where she wouldn't be in the way. "Also wanted to see if there was anything I could help with since Lieutenant Sh'shraaqir is on a mission. I've caught up on what paperwork I can do for the time being."
"Well, ensign you can observe the bridge and see what it offers and if you wish you could cover the position of First Officer while you are on here," Dodd replied.
"Really?" Autumn was totally surprised at that opportunity. "Okay I would love that." the red-haired ensign walked over to where the XO seat was, pausing to reach out and touch the armrest of the seat before she moved to sit down. This was where the commander would sit when the Captain was on the bridge when of the ship.
"Oh, I never thought I'd be having a turn in this seat." Autumn breathed out in awe, to Commander Dodd.
"I need a temporary XO for this shift and you just came along and so what an opportunity," Dodd replied as Cole sat in his usual seat. "Besides, this mission should be a great educational means for most of the acting bridge crew and I want to make the most of it.
Then Dodd sensed an uneasiness and turned to see that Connors was looking dazed and confused. "Connors are you okay?" Dodd asked as he stood up to move to Connors' position.
Connors then collapsed. =/\= Dodd to Sinclair, I have an ill officer on the bridge, could you send your staff to escort him to sickbay? =/\=
=/\= I can send me, =/\= Jane replied. =/\= On my way. =/\=
Minutes later, the blue-haired Doctor and a nurse were on the bridge. Jane’s medical tricorder was out and scanning the collapsed Ensign. “He’ll be fine,” she said, helping Connors wake up and slowly get to his feet. “C’mon, mate, you can do it. Nice and easy. Nurse, get him to the sick bay and hook him up to fluids. I’ll be down shortly.”
As the nurse helped Connors to the lift, Jane stayed and looked at Dodd. “No illness or risk to the ship, sir. Just a bit nervous and lightheaded I think.”
"Thank you, doctor," Dodd replied after Connors was on his feet. "Would you be able to trust your staff in sickbay and help man the bridge at the science station for me as a double duty?"
“Of course, sir,” Jane said, with a smile. She had never been offered bridge duty and was more than capable of it. She might need help with things like physics or astronomy, but even chief science officers had specialities and crew to fill gaps. “I’ll do my best.”
Autumn's eyes went wide and she was off the XO's chair when she saw Connors's condition. "Is he going to be okay?" moving then stopping as she didn't want to get in the way of him being taken care of. Seeing that he was being cared for, Autumn went back to the XO's chair, her eyes filled with concern.
Jane nodded to her as she took her station.
From the Communications station, the duty comms officer spoke up "Captain Dodd, sir I have a call coming in from Starbase 51, Lieutenant Commander Smithson the station's Chief of Security" he said.
"Thank you, ensign. Please put Commander Smithson on a secure channel to the ready room." Dodd replied as he moved to the ready room quickly.
"Putting her through now Sir," the young Ensign said.
- SB51 Security Office -
From her office, Samantha opened up a secure hail to the USS Tomcat, when she was put through =/\= Hello Commander Dodd, this is Commander Smithson Starbase 51 Security, hello this is a heads-up notification that a new Ensign is being sent your way his name is Ensign Liam Backstrom he will be your new Deputy Chief Intelligence Officer, the moment he gets there he will be under your command =/\= Smithson said.
=/\= Thank you for the notification. I will be on the lookout for Ensign Backstrom and get him right to work. =/\= Dodd responded. =/\= I am sure we can make him feel right at home on the Tomcat. =/\=
*Humour in voice* =/\= Be gentle with him Lieutenant Commander, but he will be along ASAP I have just finished his Orientation =/\=
=/\= Yes, ma'am, I will be as gentle with him as my CO is with me. You can count on it. =/\= Dodd replied.
=/\= Affirmative Commander, Starbase 51 Security out =/\=
- Tomcat Bridge -
Autumn gave a bit of a wide-eyed smile when she saw Jane, and also being left momentarily sort of in charge of the bridge. This was certainly giving her a taste of what it could be like being in command of a vessel.
"Hello, Lieutenant Sinclair," Autumn said in greeting.
“Hello Ensign Cole,” Jane said, now manning the main science station. “This is my first bridge shift,” she added with an excited grin.
"Mine too!" Autumn looked around blushing just a little. "Sorry" giving an embarrassed laugh.
Liam entered the Tomcats bridge and stood just outside the turbolift. He watched the crew move about their stations, working like ants to a Queen or this case a minor king. He spotted Dodd and moved to stand near him. Going to attention before saying, "excuse me, Sir. I am Ensign Liam Backstrom. Your new Deputy Chief Intelligence Officer."
Dodd turned to the ensign. "Hello and welcome to the Tomcat," Dodd stated as he looked over the young ensign. "I trust you have taken care of all the other business you had before reporting the bridge, so please take the communications station and use it to review all the necessary documents you need for this mission. I feel you will fit in on this ship quite well."
"Ma'am as far as I know I have." Moved to the Comm station and reviewed the latest reports, most were copies of the report he received before leaving Earth for the station.
oO Woah he is the Assistant Chief of Intelligence? He's gonna be my secondary boss in intelligence. Oo Autumn's eyes were wide at this thought. She will definitely need to get to know him later on.
Dodd noticed the thoughts of Ensign Cole and then realized it was merely due to her being an intelligence officer and that she would be reporting to Backstrom. However, for now, she was acting XO for this shift so she was in effect his boss. "So Ensign Cole, what are your thoughts so far of the Tomcat?"
"Well, so far from what I have seen, it is awe-inspiring, Commander Dodd. And having a stint in the XO's chair, something I had not really thought could happen." her voice was soft when Autumn answered him.
"Glad you are really absorbing it all in," Dodd replied. "I hope you will get the chance to serve on the bridge in the future"
"Ensign Backstrom, are you finding all you need for your review of the details for the mission at hand? If you have any questions feel free to ask." Dodd asked of the new Intelligence officer.
“And don’t forget to report to sickbay later,” Jane said from Science I. “If you’re not there within twenty-four of boarding, I have the authority to hunt you down, Marines in tow,” she joked, adding a wink to be clear she was teasing.
"None at the present moment Sir. The majority of what I'm reading I was aware of prior to boarding the ship." Looking to the Commander. He then addressed, Doctor Sinclair, "yes ma'am I will make sure I resist the temptation to defy orders so I can give the poor bored marines a bit of excitement." he said with a wink as well.
"Lt. Smee, please get department reports for the status of all on the ship." Dodd requested of the Lieutenant. "Wright, keep us in a steady orbit. Backstrom, could you please oversee the communications station and alert me if Parker's team needs anything from us?"
"Not a problem Sir." Moves to Communications and starts to monitor. Waiting for word from the away team.
=/\= Arderne, how are things in Engineering? Do you need to do any recalibrations or diagnostics while we are merely in orbit of the station? =/\=
Down in engineering Lamia was still reeling at being left in charge, but having been Ops Chief prior to Chief Counsellor she had the experience needed.
=/\= We’re all good down here Commander, Lieutenant Hawksley made sure everything was shipshape before he departed. If anything changes I’ll let you know. =/\=
=/\= Glad to hear it. Just be sure to use Nelson how you see fit, he is good at his job and will not disappoint you. Would you have Machado be sure all the replicators get a good once over while we are in this stagnant orbit. I believe they are likely overdue for a routine look over. =/\= Dodd replied.
=/\= Replicators... right, will do Sir” =/\= She nodded even though Remington couldn’t see it.
[OFF]
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