241606.29 Joint Plot Log: The Reception

Posted on Thu Jun 30th, 2016 @ 6:19am by Captain Alistar McKeon & Commander Isabella dei`Silvisi & Lieutenant Commander Akira-Ri Sato & Lieutenant Kev Walker & Lieutenant JG Fe'cia Niatra & Ensign Matt Connor & Lieutenant Jera'turak Ros & Lieutenant T'lon
Edited on on Thu Jun 30th, 2016 @ 6:20am

1,733 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave: Interlude

The reception was in full swing as Alistar and Commander Silvisi walked into the designated room. A few of the brass were there, including at least one admiral, but most were designees or mid level officers who were there to show the flag for their boss. A few enlisted personnel mingled in the crowd as well as a number of civilians. Simply by walking into the room, Alistar felt every hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. "I'd rather face a firing squad," he muttered quietly.


Isabella gave a sideways look and a smile as she caught on to Captain McKeon's nervousness. It was understandable, but unfortunately this was one of those small required evils of being a Starfleet officer. Even the lowest ranking ensign had to face receptions such as these throughout their careers. "It's not so bad, most of the people here will be our own crew," she said quietly as they navigated through the room. "Now, try to mind your manners, Sir, I won't be able to protect you from the big, bad, wolves that are now circling about."


"Very funny," Alistar snorted as he caught on to his first officer's sense of humor. "Alright, I'll be nice. But I'm sure as hell not staying the whole night."


"I don't think anyone is staying for long," Akira said as she stepped up to the captain and executive officer. She had heard part of their muted conversation, just enough to know that like everyone else from the Endeavour they were nervous and really didn't want to be here.


"Well, I see someone I need to speak to, so wish me well ladies," Alistar said as he spied Lieutenant Ros across the room. Slipping through the room, he endured the occasional stop and polite 'hello, how are you doing?' until he managed to catch his chief engineer. "Ros, glad I found you," he said.


Jera raised her eyebrows and looked at her commanding officer with a slightly worried look. "It's an open buffet, where else would I be?" she asked as she waved at the buffet table.


"Well, point, but I wanted to be the first to congratulate you," Alistar said as he reached into his pocket and brought out a small black box. Opening it, he smiled as he showed her the two gold pips inside. "As of this afternoon, your officer's commission in Starfleet is official. I pulled a few strings and got Admiral Weber to grant you a full commission with stipulation that you stay on board the Endeavour as chief engineer."


Jera' eyes were fixed on the lieutenant pips. She had always hoped to one day have another chance at getting a full commission, but she had also been afraid that it would never happen. "I'm not sure what to say," she finally managed to say.


"Thank you captain would be a nice start, preferably as you put them on your collar," Alistar said.


"Well, thank you captain," Jera said as she took the pips and replaced the bar on his collar with them. "And thank you for letting me stay on as chief engineer."


"You've earned it," Alistar said with a nod before he moved off.


Isabella chatted politely with Lieutenant Sato for a moment before she moved off on her own. In her experience, if two officers from the ship that was being honored at a reception mingled together for too long, then there would be a flock of well-wishers that would arrive shortly after to drown them in a crowd. It was best to keep moving. Of course, being one of the shortest people in the room helped as well. She was able to move about the room easily enough and greet the few people she recognized. She soon chanced upon Ensign Connor, the security officer who had been with her when the Endeavour had first been boarded.

"Ensign Connor," Isabella said with a friendly smile as she approached the security officer. "I wanted to say that you did an outstanding job on your first assignment."


"Thank you, Ma'am," Matt said quickly. HE was trying to hide the fact that he was nervous. "I'm sorry commander, I'm not used to these receptions," he added.


"It's alright, I don't think anyone here is very comfortable at the fact that we're all here," Isabella said as she patted Connor's arm. "Try to relax, and don't drink too much." As she took a step away, she glanced at the time and silently wished that the next forty nine minutes would hurry up and tick by.


Kev arrived with Lieutenant T'lon and several others, who all looked as if they would rather be anywhere else. Kev himself had tried to talk himself out of even coming, but threats of demotions, janitorial duties, and even having to help the shipyard crew repair the ship had all been issued if he didn't come, so he had given in and gone. Fortunately, he wasn't a senior officer, and T'lon had the perfect Vulcan screw off expression on his face, so most either smiled and said a brief greeting or simply left them alone. This was fine, because Kev wasn’t the most sociably inclined person.


Fe'cia arrived with the rest of the Endeavour's small science department. None of them knew what to do to get out of coming, so they had elected to show up together and after an hour quietly start slipping out. The promise of several months of shore leave was too strong of a calling and the Caitian would much rather be doing anything other than standing in a stuffy room with a bunch of people who she didn't even know. Seeing a group of Endeavour officers standing off to the side near the buffet table, she started over towards them, licking her chops as she caught sight of the rather large meat display.


-- AN HOUR OR SO LATER --

The reception had winded down quickly. Most of who were left were solely Endeavour personnel, with a pair of Starfleet Command officers hovering around the door handing out shore leave apartment assignments to any crew who left early and a few SFC staff officers still not ready to call it a night. Alistar had started on the farewells, he had a few minutes so he decided to gather his senior officers. A special glass of absinthe was given to each officer, even though he knew most wouldn't like or drink the stuff. It was strong, and contained real alcohol, but it was a tradition he had stuck with. As the yeoman handed him his glass, Alistar sighed and called for everyone's attention. As everyone turned and gave him their attention, Alistar nodded.

"Everyone, I want to thank you all for coming, and I'm sure most of us have endured tonight better than we expected. But I want to take a moment for us to remember not only the crew that are here, but also to remember those who are not. In the past several months, the Endeavour has lost her share of officers and crew. I want to take this time to honor them, so," Alistar raised his glass. "To fallen comrades, friends, shipmates," he said before he took a sip of his absinthe.


Isabella raised her glass and joined the chorus before she sipped her drink. Unlike many in the room, she was familiar with absinthe, so she tolerated it better than most. Being from Italy, she had practically grown up drinking it along with actual wine and several other alcoholic beverages. She had to admit that absinthe was perhaps the strongest drink that the captain could have chosen, but the Endeavour had its reputation and traditions to uphold. She finished off her glass, ignoring the few people who stared at her in surprise.


Akira joined in the toast and took a sip of her drink. She wasn't familiar with absinthe, but the liquorish taste was both enjoyable and biting, so she only drank a little.


Kev joined the toast and took a small drink of the green liquid in his glass. The taste surprised him, but liquorices were a favorite candy of his so he ended up drinking the entire glass. He instantly felt a little light headed afterwards, so he shook his head.

"Lieutenant, are you intoxicated?" T'lon asked.

"Yep, I think I am," Kev answered. He felt the Vulcan's hand grab his upper arm as T'lon started to escort Kev to the door.

"I believe you need to go to your assigned apartment and sleep off the effects. I will assist you," T'lon said.

Kev tried to say something, but he had already had several drinks so he was just a little too drunk to say much.


Jera raised her glass and drained it in a single drink. Being half Romulan, she was used to the intoxicating affects of Romulan ale, which was close to absinthe but had a different flavor. Seeing that people were breaking up and starting towards the door, Jera handed her glass to a yeoman and quietly started off towards the door herself.


Matt took a sip of his drink to join in the toast before he palmed the glass and set it down on a table as he walked towards a side door. He was glad that the evening was coming to an end, he wanted some sleep and rest and to reflect on the fact that he had just survived his first mission.


Fe'cia sniffed her drink and lapped at the contents, but didn't drink any of the absinthes. Being a Caitian, she had a sense of taste that was extremely sensitive, and she wasn't sure if she could handle the alcoholic drink. Joining in the toast, she poured her glass out onto one of the plants decorating the room and handed the empty glass back to the yeoman who had given it to her before she started out to enjoy her shore leave.


Alistar watched as his crew quietly departed. Once everyone had left, he took a moment to speak to the officer in charge of the crew cleaning up the reception before he too slipped out and into the night. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the nearby shuttle pad, where a few shuttle pods and even a shuttlecraft was parked. Like his crew, he intended to enjoy his shore leave.

 

RSS Feed