Bad News, People Part II

Posted on Mon Dec 2nd, 2024 @ 11:39pm by Captain Alistar McKeon & Commander Isabella dei`Silvisi & Lieutenant Commander Zodrac Kosh & Lieutenant Jera'turak Ros & Lieutenant Keira Heartly & Lieutenant Ayana Varón & Grace Winters PhD

2,024 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Relics of War

Still standing beside the view port, Alistar watched as the senior staff mingled while waiting for everyone else to arrive. He silently hoped that it was a good sign. At least, until he noticed Lieutenant Ros enter. Of everyone else on Endeavour, he had served with her the longest, and even if that wasn't the case it didn't take an expert to see the engineer's hesitation and obvious anger. Alistar didn't even have to follow her gaze to know the reason behind her reaction, but he still glanced towards LtCommander Kosh. Of everyone else on board Endeavour, Alistar would freely admit he had issues coming to terms with the fact that Kosh was a Cardassian. But his loyalty was to Starfleet, and Kosh wore the uniform. Unless someone betrayed the uniform, badge and everything they stood form, Alistar would at least try to work with anyone. It wouldn't be easy, but not everything in Starfleet was.

Alistar finally shook himself out of his thoughts and heaved a heavy sigh as he finally moved towards his chair and sat down. "If everyone would find a seat, we'll get started," he said.

While Ayana had kept to herself, she was aware of the tension in the room. She appreciated the counselor's intervention and hoped that she might have a chance to chat with them later.

Jera eyed everyone in the room cautiously before she finally made a move towards a chair. She sat down in a chair nearest the door and the furthest away from everyone else. Her antisocialness had often led her to be isolated from others in the crew on any ship she served on, and she had learned to be ok with it. It allowed her to focus more on her work. The presence of a Cardassian on board simply wasn't helping either, and she kept her eyes down towards the table while she fought her own inner demons silently.

Keira quickly moved towards an empty chair and sat down. She tried to appear relaxed, but the tension in the room added with the fact that the ship was at red alert made it difficult.

Grace found a seat where she could watch both the captain and the crew to watch how everyone reacted and interacted. This was a mix of both old and new crew and she was curious to learn more about their particular dynamics.

Isabella finished her espresso and seriously thought about getting another one to help her finish waking up and help her mind stay focused. She had quietly watched the tension in the room rise with the nonverbal interaction between Ros and Kosh, something that she had known would be fated eventually happen. Deciding that she would need to speak to both of them at some point, Isabella watched both officers for a short moment before turning her attention towards the captain.

Alistar waited until everyone else was seated, then slowly sat down in his chair. He was struggling with how to pass the news on, and he finally decided that there was no easy way. Looking up at the faces turned towards him, he sighed and wondered if he looked as tired as he suddenly felt.

"Starfleet Command has confirmed that the USS Federation and her escorting squadron was destroyed a few hours ago after departing Starbase 11," he said slowly. "It was also confirmed that there were no survivors. All aboard were killed, including the president of the Federation and several members of the Federation cabinet and the Senate. The vice president will be sworn in after a formal announcement is made public within the hour."

He paused, looking up at the faces of his officers and giving them a chance to let the news soak in.

Ayana covered her mouth with one hand to hold back a shocked response. She couldn't believe what she heard, but watching the captain, she slowly began to accept it.

Grace lowered her head, her eyes closed in a silent prayer. She'd been around Starfleet long enough to have to deal with death, but it was never easy. And this felt...senseless. Or a provocation of some sort. Her heart ached for the friends and family of those lost. At the same time, she waited to hear what else the captain had to tell them.

Zodrac was quiet. An action like this certain wouldn't fall beyond the capability of the Cardassians, but they would be more subtle and wouldn't risk making it obvious it was them. However, with the fall of the Dominion which placed them in a position of threat, making a show of something like this would make for a reminder that they shouldn't be overlooked anymore. He would have to make a note to check with some old contacts of his to see if they were involved or not. Regardless, something like this, is bound to bring about another major conflict. A conflict he, and his family, would certainly be placed in the middle of.

Jera felt a dangerous cold chill creep up and down her spine as the captain's words began to sink in. Glancing around the table, she knew that the others were beginning to feel some form of shock and worry. She resisted the urge to stare at the Cardassian officer for any length of time. She wouldn't doubt it if the Cardassians were involved, but she wasn't about to throw blame around towards anyone who might not deserve it. She finally leaned forward, speaking slowly mostly due to the fact that she was still processing the news. "Captain, did Starfleet Command release any information regarding the ships and classes of the squadron?" she asked.

Alistar hid his surprise, he hadn't expected Ros to actually speak up. He nodded, taking the time to put his mind back on track. "The Federation was a Nebula, heavily modified of course. The Courageous, Alaska, Savannah and Darius were all Akira class. Valley Forge and Iwo Jima were both Steamrunners, the Fletcher was an Akula, and the Kverkfjoll and Cavalier were both Saber class," he replied. "The ships and a full breakdown on their specifications and the latest engineering reports were sent to us. Starfleet Command has ordered us to report to Starbase 11 and take charge of the investigation. We'll be receiving senior year cadets to finish out our crew compliment before we depart at 0700."

Isabella had let her eyes drift towards the top of the conference room table, where she held her gaze for several moments. The news hit her in an unexpected way, and she was certain that the other officers seated around the table were reacting in their own way. She wanted to tune the ongoing conversation out and ignore everything and everyone, but her duty as both a Starfleet officer and the Endeavour's executive officer required and demanded that she not do so. She blinked at the news of the Endeavour receiving the cadets and turned her eyes back towards the captain.

"Captain, I feel that I must voice my concern about the Endeavour being assigned a number of cadets while we are tasked to this mission," she said. "If we are to lead the investigation, our assignment may very well place us in danger. We will also have the added requirement of training the cadets in hands on training, which could increase our overall reaction and response times in a crisis situation," she said.

Ayana agreed, in part. It was dangerous, but in her case, it might also be an interesting opportunity. Cadets were often more willing to try new things, which could be beneficial to science in this case. But she also worried about their potential safety. And then she wondered why Starfleet didn't assign them other officers.

"I agree entirely with your assessment, Commander," Alistar said wearily. "Unfortunately, there is a shortage of commissioned officers and this was Starfleet Command's only viable solution to address our crew shortage on such short notice. I've already argued against this at the highest level, and the answer wasn't a pleasant one. The cadets will simply have to learn on the go, and for most this will be their first time on an operational starship. So that means that they have a lot to learn and not much time to do it."

Zodrac intertwined his fingers and shook his head slightly. There wasn't a shortage or officers. Too many officers, who could still do their duties, wanting to enjoy early retirement. So, their solution, was sending inexperienced cadets under the guise of learning in the field to not have to resort to pull back those officers who were living it up on Risa or some other pleasure planet. Although, the fact that the concern was for the Cadets and not the Cardassian in the room, seemed to be a welcomed change. Still the idea didn't sit well with Zodrac. It felt more like a Cardassian move than anything else. Lure new blood into thinking they were serving their beloved Cardassian by putting them in a high risk situation where they had little to no experience and were dancing close to death.

Isabella knew that her expression displayed her personal feelings towards the issue, and inwardly she mentally scolded herself for allowing it. However, the situation that the Endeavour was being placed in was far from ideal to be assigned so many cadets. It wasn't difficult for anyone who watched her to know that she was unhappy and clearly wanted to argue against it, but Isabella finally decided that this wasn't the time or place to argue the matter. She simply nodded silently before speaking again. "Is Starfleet Academy sending anyone to assist us with the cadets, or are we entirely on our own in this endeavor?" she asked.

Keira had kept her head and eyes down. The news that the captain had given them had hit hard, mostly because she hadn't experienced anything this horrible since the Dominion had assaulted Earth during the Dominion War. The discussion had drifted towards the situation with the cadets being assigned to the ship, and she finally forced herself to lift her eyes upward and listen to the conversation. Being newly assigned to the Endeavour, she wasn't sure if she should weigh in on the conversation so she was content to simply listen.

Grace silently watched the reactions of the assembled officers. She wasn't sure why Starfleet made the decision they did, but she knew the captain didn't have much of a choice in the matter. All she could do was be available if any of the crew needed to talk.

"I will contact the Academy and request that they send an instructor or at least a liaison officer to assist with the cadets," Alistar said. "I know that this is going to be a lot for us to take on and handle, given the circumstances, but I believe we can complete this mission even with the problems we face. We only have a few hours to get the crew and cadets settled before we depart. The entire Federation is going to be on high alert, just in case. All I expect from everyone is for you and your officers to do your best. Are there any questions?"

"No, sir," Ayana replied. She might, once the cadet arrived, but for now, she could make sure her department was ready to take on cadets.

Grace just shook her head.

Keira shook her head and glanced around the table. She knew that there would be a lot of work to get completed before the ship departed, and she was eager to get started.

Isabella nodded, despite her reservations. She wasn't happy about the situation that the Endeavour and the crew had found themselves in, but she had already voiced her concerns. Starfleet Command had issued orders to the Endeavour, and now the crew had to carry those orders out. With a mental sigh, Isabella forced her reservations to the side so that she could focus on her duties as first officer.

Alistar took a deep breath and sighed. "Very well. Everyone except Lieutenant Ros is dismissed," he said.

 

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