S3 - M4: Revival

[Kirok]

< Katra Station / OCC >

The new person [EQ] had not yet answered her question, so Sirol took that as him being busy with more relevant matters and she decided to do the same, looking back at her terminal and searching for more potentially corrupted language files as she heard a voice behind her addressing her.

Looking at him she raised an eyebrow.
They had not met before, yet he was instantly familiar.
She memorised his face from the staff roster, and identified him as Lieutenant Ferris, the flight control chief of Katra.

Tilting her head she just looked at him for a second, obviously not immediately picking up on the humorous aspect of his remark.
Slowly nodding at him she rubbed her cold hands.
"œIn that case I would hope for a timely briefing so I can do proper preparation, Lieutenant."
Her tone was neutral and serious, giving a hint of the fact that outright no sort of strange custom could or would bewilder the scientist...

Eventually though, Ensign Zex's response to her call pulled Sirol out of the hypothetical scenarios of how obscure ceremonies could be.

"œOf course. I am on it."
She calmly responded towards Zex, then turned around in her chair, opening a channel and hailing the ship that had been determined as the origin of the initially cryptic message.
"œChief Overseer Hanthar, this is Katra. Our Diplomatics Officer will meet with you in..."
She paused for a split second, hesitating at relaying the vague statement.
"œ...A few minutes at the Promenade. I will send you the coordinates of the closest transporter room momentarily."
With that she had a quick look into the deck plans to find the closest transporter room and - together with the fastest estimated route to the Promenade - sent the information to the Karemma.

Once her work was done, she looked up again, only to spot one of the newcomers she had been pondering about standing in front of her.
He was a child, wasn't he?
Even though the rank pins on his collar seemed to state otherwise...

"œI am pleased to meet you, Lieutenant Mackenzie.
Sirol. Science Department. Fveirrolh'khyi-cultural exchange program."
She spoke in a calm, neutral manner, giving him a polite, hailing bow.

She was neither familiar with the meaning of grups nor Miri's World. Yet.
After all there were countless of Federation worlds, and - so far - Sirol had started to learn about them in the chronological order of them joining.
(After all she had to start somehow, and with their member count being in a constant flux, the alphabetical approach seemed a tad too prone to accidentally missing a new member for her..)

"œ...Fat Admiral?"
[Fatmiral! A random, silly part of her mind suddenly interjected...]
She eventually slowly repeated his words in a manner of obvious confusion while adding a note into her holographic wrist PDA to prioritise research on Miri's World to  - hopefully - fill her obvious gaps.
She was not yet sure as to whether that was said Admiral's specific position (akin to that of a Counter Admiral perhaps?), their name or"¦ Whether their body weight was truly remarkable enough to have everyone just recall them by this trait"¦
(The fact that someone could and would make fun of an Admiral - or any superior for that matter - did not even occur to her, since it was so far out of her realm of imagination...)
His explanation though was both, cryptic and revealing.
He certainly did not seem like a prankster in a uniform. The tone in his voice was genuine and the mood surrounding him was clear and keen.
"œIt is good to see experienced security personnel joining our ranks, Lieutenant.
You can never have too many of those - especially considering the recent events"¦
...And I would argue that creativity might be of help with these sorts of"¦ Obstacles.
Welcome aboard Katra. I hope you will find your stay here productive."

< Katra Station / OCC - EQ>

Sirol had asked a question and the XB finally answered.  "I'm in Ops.  We 'met' at Kirok's first briefing here.  I was in the back, so you might not have seen me.  Name's EQ Kimball" the XB rattled off in a friendly manner.

"Thanks for you assistance with the UT.  Languages isn't really my thing.  I barely speak standard English good" he added with a slight smirk.

[Promenade - Zex]

-//-Thank you, Sirol.  I am ready to receive him.  Send him on down-\\- the Deltan replied.

< Katra Station / OCC  - Kirok>

The Captain emerged from the Ready Room.  He noticed that there were still some people in the OCC who he expected to see at the ceremony.

He wandered over to them.  "EQ, Sirol.  I was hoping to speak to you both earlier.  But I would very much like it if you would both join me on the stage during the ceremony.  I know this is late notice, but could you both log out of your stations and come with me?" Kirok said to the pair. 

[Don Damien Addams]

If Kal had a choice. He would rather stay at OCC to watch the surveillance cameras. This would be a great opportunity to strike the Bajorian's Kai. Who? He was not sure. It would be a perfect tactic for terrorists to strike when they are weak. The fleet was here but the station was still at a weak point.

Captain Kirok had wanted Kal to go to the ceremony. He had gone back to his quarters to place the formal dress uniform on. The worst piece of wardrobe that Starfleet designed. This was a human who wore Klingon armor as a child and in Klingon warbird. He was head security to Klingons which he earned their respect. He learned that he was not fit to serve on Klingon ship. He had decided to stay with Starfleet.

He figured by the reflection in the mirror he was a handsome fellow after all. He was studying his reflection to find anything out of place. There was none and he departed his quarters to head the promenade.

Cazham & Shazham

Cazham and Shazham had decided to step behind the Kai on the stage. What they wanted was observe the audience for any threats to the Kai. They were not security. They were counselors who were part of Starfleet. The good will of the Bajorians had allowed them to come to Katra with the Kai.

When Kai came in Cazham was the first who spotted their half brother. Same mother but different father. Shazham had felt Cazham to turn his attention to see Kal.

Kal had not notice them as brothers. He had noticed everyone on the stage because his attention was on them. Then he was studying the crowd he was in. This was the same work style he did for watching over ambassador Tholians. The two identical brothers went back to doing their duty.

[Kirok]

[Promenade]

Kirok walked up on the stage.  He bowed slightly to the honored guests.  Then he went to the podium, looked out onto the crowd, and bowed again.

"I want to thank you all for coming today.  We are here for a grand occasion.  The re-opening the Katra station.

It is a grand occasion for many reasons.  The most important of which is that it is the very first re-opening of any Shadow Fleet ship or station in 3 years.  So it gives me hope that this will help to revive interest in our fleet and ultimately help us to grow our numbers again.

In addition, we are celebrating the fact that the Katra survived its recent hardship.  That she is stronger than ever.  And that the soul of fleet will live on.

This is, of course, largely due to the hard work of my skilled and able crew.  Kyle Briggs, our XO, Ms. Falleg, our CSO, ...(Kirok listed every active crew member on the Katra roster).

I speak these names  so that you will know who deserves credit for our success.  But also to celebrate them in the here and now, in the world of the living.  And to let you know that they will each be given a commendation for working threw this recent crisis.

Our continued success, though, is also due to the partnerships that we have created with native species of the Gamma Quadrant and those who hope to build in the future.  Eydis of Tholia has been a long standing member of this station and will continue to help us defend the station with hir ships.  Chief overseers Hanthar, of Karemma, has partnered with us to oversee the civilian businesses here on the station and will help us set up shipping lanes as we venture further into the Gamma quadrant.  And kai Niall is her to provide grief counseling and spiritual guidance to those who need it.

That said, I have asked her to offer a few words now" Kirok said.  One of the aids pushed her forward.  Then Kirok handed her the microphone.

"Children of the Gamma quadrant and members of the federation, please join me as I offer a blessing to you and the station.  When I think of you, members of the federation, I can not help but compare you to members of a religious order.  You leave your homes, venture off to strange new places, all in home of making the universe a better place.

So, I pray that the gods grand your a sense of community when you feel home sick.  A sense of comfort when you feel insecure.  And lift you up when you are tired and start to forget why you ventured out this far.

For the Katra, I pray that it continue to be a beacon in the night sky.  A safe haven in the story.  A gatekeeper of the worm hole.

May the gods protect you.  Look over you and keep you safe.  And may the soul, the katra, be here for many more years to come" she said before passing the microphone back to Kirok.

[Sirol]

< Katra Station / OCC >

< Katra Station / OCC - EQ>

Sirol had asked a question and the XB finally answered.  "I'm in Ops.  We 'met' at Kirok's first briefing here.  I was in the back, so you might not have seen me.  Name's EQ Kimball" the XB rattled off in a friendly manner.

"Thanks for you assistance with the UT.  Languages isn't really my thing.  I barely speak standard English good" he added with a slight smirk.

As the newcomer found the time to answer, Sirol turned around on the rotating chair, and gave him a nod of acknowledgement.
"œI might not. I apologise for that oversight, I was distracted by the lack of painkillers that day."
She folded her hands and looked up to him.
"œPleased to meet you, EQ Kimball. It is good to have our OPS assigned again.
I myself am currently learning standard English too.
It is"¦ Confusing and - In many cases"¦ Redundant"¦
Instead of a simple rank like Citizen, Uhlan or Commander there are so many"¦ Non-descriptive ways of being addressed. Mr. Ms. Mrs. Madam"¦ There is a lot of"¦ Subjectively speaking"¦ Junk data within the English language using up space for more important role descriptions"¦
Rank, division, function"¦"

"˜Centurion Sirol the Scientist' certainly stated all that mattered.
She paused a moment, looking at him again and then giving him a slightly apologetic look.
She assumed that the last thing her colleague would want to hear were the difficult parts of a language he was yet learning"¦
Instead she tilted her head and gave him a curious look.
"œIs there a specific language you would prefer to use?"

[Promenade - Zex]

-//-Thank you, Sirol.  I am ready to receive him.  Send him on down-\\- the Deltan replied.

Towards Zex's response, Sirol - invisible to her - nodded.
"œI have already contacted the Chief Overseer and relayed the coordinates. He should be with you momentarily.
Let me know if anything else needs help. I will be on standby."

< Katra Station / OCC  - Kirok>

The Captain emerged from the Ready Room.  He noticed that there were still some people in the OCC who he expected to see at the ceremony.

He wandered over to them.  "EQ, Sirol.  I was hoping to speak to you both earlier.  But I would very much like it if you would both join me on the stage during the ceremony.  I know this is late notice, but could you both log out of your stations and come with me?" Kirok said to the pair.

Noticing the new commanding officer; Kirok, Sirol looked up to him and straightened her posture.
She had been tempted to do a Romulan salute - out of decades of habit - just as she had done the first time she had met Captain Solluk, yet managed to restrain herself in the last second.
By now she had learned that most Starfleet officers considered saluting"¦ Strange, and often were not sure how to react, so Sirol had decided to stop it altogether to avoid uncomfortable silence...

Instead she acknowledged his request with a polite nod.
"œOf course, Captain."
She replied fast, doing what she was told by requesting relief for her station, then logging out and leaving her chair to the crewman that joined them in the OCC faster than expected.
"œWill there be anything we need to prepare for?"
Her question was a general one since - as of now - she still had not been informed what sort of ceremony it was, yet the fact that the Captain had requested EQ and her by her side indicated something potentially out of the ordinary.
Usually the people by the Captain's side tended to be their XOs and SOs, perhaps Yeomen or Security officers. A scientist to accompany the CO though left room for speculation"¦

______________________________________________

< Katra Station / Promenade >

The consensus had been, that the Celebration honoured the re-opening of Katra, and while not in the know about any of the other aspects yet, Sirol concluded that this had been a special event.
She had seen several Starfleet officers wear gala uniform. So she decided that it was strategically wise to follow their example.

Standing behind Kirok with her arms folded behind her back stood Sirol - Still wrapped into her exoskeletal frame to help her walk, yet underneath she was wearing the signature gala uniform jacket, and above both, the jacket and the exoskeleton the soft, iridescent shimmering sash with booth, her Romulan emblem as well as her Krian award.
This time she in fact wore her sash the way it was supposed to be - wrapped around her right shoulder, and not (like she did on regular civilian days) as a loop scarf"¦

She quietly followed Kirok's elaborations, acknowledging every set of kind words he spoke about a staff member as well as any of their allies with a polite nod towards said individual.
Commander Brigs, Lieutenant Falleg, Lieutenant Mackenzie, Commander Eydis, Chief Overseer Hanthar...
Everyone had the bit of spotlight they deserved, and Sirol appreciated them too, looking into the crowd; into the faces of the ones he was addressing, and even giving the ones she already knew a little smirk.
I see you. She inaudibly spoke to them...

Once he passed the opportunity to speak towards Kai Niall, Sirol gave her a polite, welcoming bow as well, before her focus once more wandered into the crowd.
She just stood there, listening to the Kai's words, thinking, and wondering whether she was sufficing at being the Captain's stage-associate...

[Serena King]

[Katra Station | Promenade]

During one of the pauses, Serena discretely sidled over to Gideon and squeezed his hand. Nice driving, flyboy. She muttered to him and gave him a teasing wink before letting go of his hand and resuming parade rest. She knew she was somewhat conspicuous wearing utilities, but at least the creases were still razor sharp.

[Hrafn Falleg]

< Katra Station / OCC >

As Sirol heard Hrafn Falleg's voice, she turned around.
It indeed was her. Curious, she just had been thinking about her division leader and as to whether she would be willing to relay a few requests of hers later.
Tilting her head the scientist gave her superior a surprised look.
"œDid"¦ Something positive happen?
You appear"¦ Very vibrant right now..." She semi-cryptically asked, trying to find the right words for what Hrafn emitted all around her.

Towards her question she however got "˜back to business' and nodded.
"œEnsign Zex and I have been put on light duty for now.
The time in the Med Bay was"¦ Very insightful. I might say, leading into some interpersonal new connections.
I do not dislike being in the MedBay per se. I just"¦ Dislike the silence and stagnation there.
I suppose I was lucky to get to know Ensign Zex and Doctor Xiiv. They have been of great help."

With a musing little smile she then added.
"œI would never mind the presence of children or pets. I think you know me well enough to judge that."
Know how very much I would do and  give to be a parent too"¦

"œ...We even had two pets down there too.
Their names were Erika and Miracle, and they were very"¦" She paused for a moment, trying to find a word that would properly express her positive experience"¦
"œ...Dear."

Sirol nodded, and pointed at her terminal.
"œYes. There were some minor difficulties with the automatic recognition of their language, but I currently have the issue under control."
Once more she looked into the Karemma language file, as Hrafn's voice pulled her back into reality.
A ceremony?
"œI"¦ Was not yet briefed that there will be a ceremony. I arrived at the OCC four minutes ago.
I suppose, getting in touch with people and sharing thoughts would be"¦ Healing"¦
If time allows it, I will attend."

Once Hrafn turned around towards Commander Briggs again, Sirol hunkered down over her terminal; her fingers quickly flying over the buttons.
As she heard the term "˜Straight Jacket of Torture' though, the slender scientist once more turned around and gave the two a blank stare.

"œ...What sort of ceremony is this exactly, and will I be required to bring something akin as well? Handcuffs and a ball gag perhaps?"

[OCC - Earlier]

Hrafn let out a delighted peal of laughter, exchanged a look with Kyle and raised and eyebrow then giggled.  "Handcuffs and a ball gag... oh my!  I take it you've heard that from somewhere and connected it with my comment about dress uniform.  From what I can gather since the Kai is here it's a rededication of the station, I was just asking if we should consider it a 'dress whites' occasion.  Most people don't like wearing them for one of two reasons.  They are white, and thus show dirt at the slightest provocation, and also they never seem to fit correctly unless one has a very good tailor.  I had mine adjusted to fit by a Romulan as it happens who used to live here... she moved before the explosion so I presume she's gone back to her main business on DS9 or opening another franchise on another station or something!"

The CSO grinned at Sirol then said "As for something positive... not exactly, my chat with the Captain prompted a few fond memories however and has given something to get my teeth into, and I was paid one of the biggest compliments I've had in a long while from my dear friend Mr. Briggs here!  We go a long way back, and next to my husband probably have the closest of friendships, so it's very good to be back in touch with him, sooooo... we're going to have a dinner party and I've left it with the Captain to figure a suitable night to have all the 'family'..."  she framed the word with finger speech marks, "...in and get to know one another, I'll be cooking from scratch, so if you want me to make it a day when we're both not having to be in the office we can conduct some 'science experiments' of the culinary kind together!"

"As for the Karemma language files..." she paused to remember. "Computer, grant access to file Falleg Beta-Epsilon-Gamma-Nine-Nine-Four to Ensign Sirol, Authorisation code set up for her to access, Sirol Nine-Nine-Four-Alpha-One."  She turned back to Sirol.  "Useful stuff including a lot of non-standard Karemma language stuff, jargon, slang and the like... from last time we encountered them.  File is unlocked to you only just call up B-E-G-994 and when it asks for authorisation tell them Sirol 994-A1  gives you all you need I hope. Really I need to check with Kirok and ask if I can just make you my permanent assistant while you're on this cultural exchange programme because other than me being an unjoined Trill amongst other things, and you a Romulan... our brains could be interconnected by hard wire we think so similarly sometimes, and besides which I trust you, and my family love you!  Then I could just give you access to everything bar anything which is eyes only CSO!"

[Promenade]

Kirok walked up on the stage.  He bowed slightly to the honored guests.  Then he went to the podium, looked out onto the crowd, and bowed again.

"I want to thank you all for coming today.  We are here for a grand occasion.  The re-opening the Katra station.

It is a grand occasion for many reasons.  The most important of which is that it is the very first re-opening of any Shadow Fleet ship or station in 3 years.  So it gives me hope that this will help to revive interest in our fleet and ultimately help us to grow our numbers again.

In addition, we are celebrating the fact that the Katra survived its recent hardship.  That she is stronger than ever.  And that the soul of fleet will live on.

This is, of course, largely due to the hard work of my skilled and able crew.  Kyle Briggs, our XO, Ms. Falleg, our CSO, ...(Kirok listed every active crew member on the Katra roster).

I speak these names  so that you will know who deserves credit for our success.  But also to celebrate them in the here and now, in the world of the living.  And to let you know that they will each be given a commendation for working threw this recent crisis.

Our continued success, though, is also due to the partnerships that we have created with native species of the Gamma Quadrant and those who hope to build in the future.  Eydis of Tholia has been a long standing member of this station and will continue to help us defend the station with hir ships.  Chief overseers Hanthar, of Karemma, has partnered with us to oversee the civilian businesses here on the station and will help us set up shipping lanes as we venture further into the Gamma quadrant.  And kai Niall is her to provide grief counseling and spiritual guidance to those who need it.

That said, I have asked her to offer a few words now" Kirok said.  One of the aids pushed her forward.  Then Kirok handed her the microphone.

"Children of the Gamma quadrant and members of the federation, please join me as I offer a blessing to you and the station.  When I think of you, members of the federation, I can not help but compare you to members of a religious order.  You leave your homes, venture off to strange new places, all in home of making the universe a better place.

So, I pray that the gods grand your a sense of community when you feel home sick.  A sense of comfort when you feel insecure.  And lift you up when you are tired and start to forget why you ventured out this far.

For the Katra, I pray that it continue to be a beacon in the night sky.  A safe haven in the story.  A gatekeeper of the worm hole.

May the gods protect you.  Look over you and keep you safe.  And may the soul, the katra, be here for many more years to come" she said before passing the microphone back to Kirok.

[Promenade - Present]

Hrafn bowed her head both at the praise of Kirok... to her she was simply doing her job, and hoping that she could pull those around her to do their best in their capacities too.  Katra was her home and so it was special to her, since she followed the teachings of the Prophets, to see the Kai there to bless the station.

She was glad she'd put on the 'straight jacket of torture' as to her it was a mark of respect not only for the occasion, but for the Kai.

[Katra Station | Promenade]

During one of the pauses, Serena discretely sidled over to Gideon and squeezed his hand. Nice driving, flyboy. She muttered to him and gave him a teasing wink before letting go of his hand and resuming parade rest. She knew she was somewhat conspicuous wearing utilities, but at least the creases were still razor sharp.

She turned to the young Ensign in the utilities and smiled, after Kirok and the Kai finished speaking.

Conscious that the young woman might be feeling as conscious of her utilities as she was in her whites she said "How the heck do you keep your creases so sharp, Ensign?  I have a job keeping them in my uniforms.  I'm not so bothered about my lab coat, that I see as something which will necessarily become creased due to the nature of work I do in it but uniform trousers...  I get away with it because I have 3 young children, and one older... but still.  Also, welcome to Katra.  I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet, I'm Lt. Hrafn Falleg-Tekin, Chief of Science.  And by deduction you're either new or in Engineering... somewhere I tend to avoid unless I'm dropping off my son to spend some time with Cat Goodspeed but she's transferred and Tidu is most upset that his Engineering training is going to suffer... he wants all his Junior Cadet badges in Engineering and hopes to be the next answer to Mr. Scott some day!"

[Gideon Drake]

[Katra Station | Promenade]

During one of the pauses, Serena discretely sidled over to Gideon and squeezed his hand. Nice driving, flyboy. She muttered to him and gave him a teasing wink before letting go of his hand and resuming parade rest. She knew she was somewhat conspicuous wearing utilities, but at least the creases were still razor sharp.

[Ensign Gideon "Gryphon/Griff" Drake | Promenade | Katra Station]

Everything had turned into quite a surprise to Griff. First a Bajoran Kai shows up, and then the reason for her visit is absolutely clear. Of course things took him by surprise. If he had known he was due to participate in a speech, he would've brought a dress uniform. And it's clear he wasn't the only one.

Gideon felt the hand squeeze and he saw Serena appearing at his side. She winked and whispered something to him before she resumed parade rest. The nickname namesake, the gryphon, stirred a little inside him, his way of describing his heart fluttering, the way it did when he found an exceptionally special girl. Griff winked back at her, then resumed watching the speech. There was no doubt about it, "Gryphon" Drake was in love.

[Serena King]

[Promenade - Present]

Hrafn bowed her head both at the praise of Kirok... to her she was simply doing her job, and hoping that she could pull those around her to do their best in their capacities too.  Katra was her home and so it was special to her, since she followed the teachings of the Prophets, to see the Kai there to bless the station.

She was glad she'd put on the 'straight jacket of torture' as to her it was a mark of respect not only for the occasion, but for the Kai.

She turned to the young Ensign in the utilities and smiled, after Kirok and the Kai finished speaking.

Conscious that the young woman might be feeling as conscious of her utilities as she was in her whites she said "How the heck do you keep your creases so sharp, Ensign?  I have a job keeping them in my uniforms.  I'm not so bothered about my lab coat, that I see as something which will necessarily become creased due to the nature of work I do in it but uniform trousers...  I get away with it because I have 3 young children, and one older... but still.  Also, welcome to Katra.  I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet, I'm Lt. Hrafn Falleg-Tekin, Chief of Science.  And by deduction you're either new or in Engineering... somewhere I tend to avoid unless I'm dropping off my son to spend some time with Cat Goodspeed but she's transferred and Tidu is most upset that his Engineering training is going to suffer... he wants all his Junior Cadet badges in Engineering and hopes to be the next answer to Mr. Scott some day!"

[Ensign Gideon "Gryphon/Griff" Drake | Promenade | Katra Station]

Everything had turned into quite a surprise to Griff. First a Bajoran Kai shows up, and then the reason for her visit is absolutely clear. Of course things took him by surprise. If he had known he was due to participate in a speech, he would've brought a dress uniform. And it's clear he wasn't the only one.

Gideon felt the hand squeeze and he saw Serena appearing at his side. She winked and whispered something to him before she resumed parade rest. The nickname namesake, the gryphon, stirred a little inside him, his way of describing his heart fluttering, the way it did when he found an exceptionally special girl. Griff winked back at her, then resumed watching the speech. There was no doubt about it, "Gryphon" Drake was in love.

[Katra Station | Promenade (interlude between speeches)]

Serena leaned back towards Gideon and lowered her voice: "Behave yourself, Ensign, we're in public. Remember what we agreed to." She stuck her tongue out for a brief moment.

Serena then turned to the Trill and bowed. "Serena King, Engineering." She looked down and shrugged theatrically. "They're new, I suppose. I just changed into them and was performing maintenance testing when I got pulled over. I prefer utilities anyway, they're practical, but I would've dressed more formally if I had known."

She looked thoughtful at the mention of offspring, not having any of her own. "I believe that children are our future. That if you teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside. If you give them a sense of pride, to make it easier and let the childrens' laughter remind us how we used to be. I think that everybody's searching for a hero, someone that people will look up to." Serena laughed quietly, then theatrically mimed wiping away fake tears.

"I believe your son... Tidu? We'll get along quite well. I have read Montgomery Scott's exploits in great detail. He is one of my personal heroes. I was also very fortunate to be taught by Professor Miles O'Brien for Engineering. As long as your son doesn't adopt too thick an accent." Serena winked. She in fact spoke using Received Pronounciation, finding it easy to speak rapidly and enunciate certain technical words and concepts without getting into too much trouble.

[Hrafn Falleg]

[Katra Station | Promenade (interlude between speeches)]

Serena leaned back towards Gideon and lowered her voice: "Behave yourself, Ensign, we're in public. Remember what we agreed to." She stuck her tongue out for a brief moment.

Serena then turned to the Trill and bowed. "Serena King, Engineering." She looked down and shrugged theatrically. "They're new, I suppose. I just changed into them and was performing maintenance testing when I got pulled over. I prefer utilities anyway, they're practical, but I would've dressed more formally if I had known."

She looked thoughtful at the mention of offspring, not having any of her own. "I believe that children are our future. That if you teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside. If you give them a sense of pride, to make it easier and let the childrens' laughter remind us how we used to be. I think that everybody's searching for a hero, someone that people will look up to." Serena laughed quietly, then theatrically mimed wiping away fake tears.

"I believe your son... Tidu? We'll get along quite well. I have read Montgomery Scott's exploits in great detail. He is one of my personal heroes. I was also very fortunate to be taught by Professor Miles O'Brien for Engineering. As long as your son doesn't adopt too thick an accent." Serena winked. She in fact spoke using Received Pronounciation, finding it easy to speak rapidly and enunciate certain technical words and concepts without getting into too much trouble.

[Promenade - Katra Station]

Hrafn watched, amused.

"You need to join the Amateur Thespians Group we have here, Ms. King.  But good to know about the uniform... you'd put me to shame otherwise.  That said you'll normally find me slumming it in my teal and lab coat, and I don't think my lab coats have seen an iron in... well they don't, period. It's time I could utilise better doing an experiment.  I don't think many people are going to care when I'm potentially changing the Universe for the better!"

"As for Tidu... he'll occasionally come out with what I call a 'Scott-ism' but normally it's just over-excited at being let loose with something Engineer related, and then something just sort of 'clicks' inside him and you'd think he was a mini Mr. O'Brien... minus the Irish twang of course!  Totally serious about the work and there to learn. He's desperate to get all his Junior Cadet badges!  Tell you what, I'm arranging an informal dinner for old friends and new, if you like come along to that and meet the children.  Nerys is more Scientifically minded but she 'needs' the badges for Engineering too.  For her however it's more crossing them off a list, the only ones she's remotely interested in are Science, Medical, and some of the more 'fun' ones like cooking... which she approaches so seriously you'd think they were scientific experiments!  I don't have a date or time yet but if you're interested I'll ping you details later... you can bring your friend, Ensign..?"

She turned to Drake and said "Sorry, another new face..."

[Gideon Drake]

[Katra Station | Promenade (interlude between speeches)]

Serena leaned back towards Gideon and lowered her voice: "Behave yourself, Ensign, we're in public. Remember what we agreed to." She stuck her tongue out for a brief moment.

Serena then turned to the Trill and bowed. "Serena King, Engineering." She looked down and shrugged theatrically. "They're new, I suppose. I just changed into them and was performing maintenance testing when I got pulled over. I prefer utilities anyway, they're practical, but I would've dressed more formally if I had known."

She looked thoughtful at the mention of offspring, not having any of her own. "I believe that children are our future. That if you teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside. If you give them a sense of pride, to make it easier and let the childrens' laughter remind us how we used to be. I think that everybody's searching for a hero, someone that people will look up to." Serena laughed quietly, then theatrically mimed wiping away fake tears.

"I believe your son... Tidu? We'll get along quite well. I have read Montgomery Scott's exploits in great detail. He is one of my personal heroes. I was also very fortunate to be taught by Professor Miles O'Brien for Engineering. As long as your son doesn't adopt too thick an accent." Serena winked. She in fact spoke using Received Pronounciation, finding it easy to speak rapidly and enunciate certain technical words and concepts without getting into too much trouble.

[Promenade - Katra Station]

Hrafn watched, amused.

"You need to join the Amateur Thespians Group we have here, Ms. King.  But good to know about the uniform... you'd put me to shame otherwise.  That said you'll normally find me slumming it in my teal and lab coat, and I don't think my lab coats have seen an iron in... well they don't, period. It's time I could utilise better doing an experiment.  I don't think many people are going to care when I'm potentially changing the Universe for the better!"

"As for Tidu... he'll occasionally come out with what I call a 'Scott-ism' but normally it's just over-excited at being let loose with something Engineer related, and then something just sort of 'clicks' inside him and you'd think he was a mini Mr. O'Brien... minus the Irish twang of course!  Totally serious about the work and there to learn. He's desperate to get all his Junior Cadet badges!  Tell you what, I'm arranging an informal dinner for old friends and new, if you like come along to that and meet the children.  Nerys is more Scientifically minded but she 'needs' the badges for Engineering too.  For her however it's more crossing them off a list, the only ones she's remotely interested in are Science, Medical, and some of the more 'fun' ones like cooking... which she approaches so seriously you'd think they were scientific experiments!  I don't have a date or time yet but if you're interested I'll ping you details later... you can bring your friend, Ensign..?"

She turned to Drake and said "Sorry, another new face..."

[Ensign Gideon "Gryphon/Griff" Drake | Promenade | Katra Station]

Griff nodded in understanding. This was, after all, the Promenade, the part of the station that's pretty much more like a city, even more so than a starship.

As Griff wondered about what to do next, he was called over by...someone ginger and with spots. A ginger Trill. Griff approached her and seeing her up close...oh, he can definitely tell she was a mum. Motherliness and all...and...was that Serena next to her?

"Oh, hullo, ma'am," Griff said, pronouncing "ma'am" as "mum" in typical British sense, noticing how high-ranking she is. "Ensign Drake," he said, introducing himself. "What can I do you for?"

[Kirok]

< Katra Station / OCC >

As the newcomer found the time to answer, Sirol turned around on the rotating chair, and gave him a nod of acknowledgement.
"œI might not. I apologise for that oversight, I was distracted by the lack of painkillers that day."
She folded her hands and looked up to him.
"œPleased to meet you, EQ Kimball. It is good to have our OPS assigned again.
I myself am currently learning standard English too.
It is"¦ Confusing and - In many cases"¦ Redundant"¦
Instead of a simple rank like Citizen, Uhlan or Commander there are so many"¦ Non-descriptive ways of being addressed. Mr. Ms. Mrs. Madam"¦ There is a lot of"¦ Subjectively speaking"¦ Junk data within the English language using up space for more important role descriptions"¦
Rank, division, function"¦"

"˜Centurion Sirol the Scientist' certainly stated all that mattered.
She paused a moment, looking at him again and then giving him a slightly apologetic look.
She assumed that the last thing her colleague would want to hear were the difficult parts of a language he was yet learning"¦
Instead she tilted her head and gave him a curious look.
"œIs there a specific language you would prefer to use?"

Towards Zex's response, Sirol - invisible to her - nodded.
"œI have already contacted the Chief Overseer and relayed the coordinates. He should be with you momentarily.
Let me know if anything else needs help. I will be on standby."

Noticing the new commanding officer; Kirok, Sirol looked up to him and straightened her posture.
She had been tempted to do a Romulan salute - out of decades of habit - just as she had done the first time she had met Captain Solluk, yet managed to restrain herself in the last second.
By now she had learned that most Starfleet officers considered saluting"¦ Strange, and often were not sure how to react, so Sirol had decided to stop it altogether to avoid uncomfortable silence...

Instead she acknowledged his request with a polite nod.
"œOf course, Captain."
She replied fast, doing what she was told by requesting relief for her station, then logging out and leaving her chair to the crewman that joined them in the OCC faster than expected.
"œWill there be anything we need to prepare for?"
Her question was a general one since - as of now - she still had not been informed what sort of ceremony it was, yet the fact that the Captain had requested EQ and her by her side indicated something potentially out of the ordinary.
Usually the people by the Captain's side tended to be their XOs and SOs, perhaps Yeomen or Security officers. A scientist to accompany the CO though left room for speculation"¦

______________________________________________

< Katra Station / Promenade >

The consensus had been, that the Celebration honoured the re-opening of Katra, and while not in the know about any of the other aspects yet, Sirol concluded that this had been a special event.
She had seen several Starfleet officers wear gala uniform. So she decided that it was strategically wise to follow their example.

Standing behind Kirok with her arms folded behind her back stood Sirol - Still wrapped into her exoskeletal frame to help her walk, yet underneath she was wearing the signature gala uniform jacket, and above both, the jacket and the exoskeleton the soft, iridescent shimmering sash with booth, her Romulan emblem as well as her Krian award.
This time she in fact wore her sash the way it was supposed to be - wrapped around her right shoulder, and not (like she did on regular civilian days) as a loop scarf"¦

She quietly followed Kirok's elaborations, acknowledging every set of kind words he spoke about a staff member as well as any of their allies with a polite nod towards said individual.
Commander Brigs, Lieutenant Falleg, Lieutenant Mackenzie, Commander Eydis, Chief Overseer Hanthar...
Everyone had the bit of spotlight they deserved, and Sirol appreciated them too, looking into the crowd; into the faces of the ones he was addressing, and even giving the ones she already knew a little smirk.
I see you. She inaudibly spoke to them...

Once he passed the opportunity to speak towards Kai Niall, Sirol gave her a polite, welcoming bow as well, before her focus once more wandered into the crowd.
She just stood there, listening to the Kai's words, thinking, and wondering whether she was sufficing at being the Captain's stage-associate...

< Katra Station / OCC >

Kirok shook his head no.  "If you could change into your dress uniform, that should suffice as it pertains to preparation.  The reason I have asked you and Mr. Kimball to stand on the stage with me is to help to show how diverse our crew is" he replied.

"Thank you for agreeing to participate. I'll see you both down there" he added.  Then he turned and headed to the promenade.

[Promenade]

Prior to getting on stage, Kirok noticed that there were fleet service reports in the group.  "Welcome.  I am Kirok.  I will happily send you a copy of my speech if you like.  But you are welcome to record the event if you like.  If fact, let's get you right up front so that you don't miss anything" Kiork said to the reporters.

-

Kiork took the microphone.  "Thank you, Kai Naill" he said.  Then he offered her a slight bow.

"I mentioned earlier that the station is stronger than ever.  Not only figuratively, but literally.  By that I mean that the hull has been reinforced with titanium and that our shields and weapons have been upgraded.  And break away junctions have been installed to help prevent a repeat of the recent catastrophe.

I say this because I want to assure you all that you are safe here.  But the thing that I am most content about is our new ship.  The USS Seleyah.

The Seleyah is a Inquire class ship.  Fresh off the production line.  With all the most up to date technology.

I am told that she is the fastest and most tactically able ship currently available in the fleet.  Time will tell on that.  But  we are the first to have her.

So, I am happy to share that we will be returning to our most fundamental of purposes.  That being the purpose of exploring new worlds.  And leaning about new civilizations.

And as a bonus, the ships sensors will be tied to our computers here.  So as the Seleyah visits the planets in the Gamma Quadrant, we here at the station will be creating an up to date map of the sector.  In the newly installed stellar cartography lab that will be run by our science department that includes Sirol and Mr. McCutcheon" Kirok added

[Promenade]

EQ stood beside Sirol and the EMH.  He looked forward and stood at attention like he was trained to do.  But his eye were scanning the area for the food and beverages that had been set up for the party.

He looked from table to table.  Finally he found what he was looking for.  "Thank the gods, there are pigs n blankets at 3 oclock" he uttered.

[Kyle Briggs]

OCC earlier

"Given the circumstances, I unfortunately think the dress whites would be best." Kyle replied to Hfran. "We'll just have to grin and bear it and hope we can get out of them as soon as possible and back into these."

They parted ways and Kyle dropped by his quarters to change. Once he was dressed and ready, he made his way to the ceremony.

[Promenade - Present]

Kyle listened from his seat as Kirok spoke. It had been a while since Kyle had been stationed on a starbase and he was actually looking forward to it. He was hoping things went as well as the CO was describing.

His ears perked up a bit when Kirok began speaking about the new ship. Part of Kyle was ready for any reason to take out the ship and put it through its paces. He and Kirok had spoke and had come to the agreement that Ser Conley would be the main pilot for the Seleyah.

He released a sigh of relief as it appeared as if the ceremony was possibly coming to a close. He was so ready to get out of this uniform. He looked over and despite how well Hfran looked in hers, he was sure she was ready as well.

[Don Damien Addams]

He looked from table to table.  Finally he found what he was looking for.  "Thank the gods, there are pigs n blankets at 3 oclock" he uttered.

Kal was a ear shot from Xborg. "Where?" he was looking for pigs in a blanket. He had never heard it. "Stop with your jokes. There are no pigs here!"

[Kirok]

OCC earlier

"Given the circumstances, I unfortunately think the dress whites would be best." Kyle replied to Hfran. "We'll just have to grin and bear it and hope we can get out of them as soon as possible and back into these."

They parted ways and Kyle dropped by his quarters to change. Once he was dressed and ready, he made his way to the ceremony.

[Promenade - Present]

Kyle listened from his seat as Kirok spoke. It had been a while since Kyle had been stationed on a starbase and he was actually looking forward to it. He was hoping things went as well as the CO was describing.

His ears perked up a bit when Kirok began speaking about the new ship. Part of Kyle was ready for any reason to take out the ship and put it through its paces. He and Kirok had spoke and had come to the agreement that Ser Conley would be the main pilot for the Seleyah.

He released a sigh of relief as it appeared as if the ceremony was possibly coming to a close. He was so ready to get out of this uniform. He looked over and despite how well Hfran looked in hers, he was sure she was ready as well.

[Promenade]

As if on que, Kirok was ready to deliver the last part of his speech.  He had always been told to leave the best for last.  And he hoped that this part, though vailed and carefully worded, conveyed the hidden message across the universe.

"Finally, I find it acceptable that the Karta crew is as diverse as it can possibly be.  We have Romulans, XBs, and holograms on staff and who work here as civilians" Kirok said.  He turned to indicate Sirol, EQ, and the EMH.

Kirok turned back to the reporters.  "There are, of course, representative from hundreds of other planets.  And from as far away as Earth.

My point being that the Katra is ready to welcome anyone in search of a home. The disenfranchised, those who no longer have a home to return to, the huddled masses who are tired and poor.  As long as said person comes with the purpose of contributing to our community and building a brighter future.

So come to the Katra.  Let us give you a home.  An safety from persecutions" he said.

Then he was silent for a moment.  He looked around the room and felt that his message had landed appropriately.  So he ended by raising his right hand and parting his fingers.  "Long life and peace" he finished.

Kal was a ear shot from Xborg. "Where?" he was looking for pigs in a blanket. He had never heard it. "Stop with your jokes. There are no pigs here!"

[Promenade - EQ

As soon as Kirok was done speaking, EQ stepped off the stage.  He lightly grabbed Kal by the elbow and pointed him at the table with his favorite food in the universe.  "Its a food and there's ketchup!  Let's get in line" he declared.

[Gideon Drake]

< Katra Station / OCC >

Kirok shook his head no.  "If you could change into your dress uniform, that should suffice as it pertains to preparation.  The reason I have asked you and Mr. Kimball to stand on the stage with me is to help to show how diverse our crew is" he replied.

"Thank you for agreeing to participate. I'll see you both down there" he added.  Then he turned and headed to the promenade.

[Promenade]

Prior to getting on stage, Kirok noticed that there were fleet service reports in the group.  "Welcome.  I am Kirok.  I will happily send you a copy of my speech if you like.  But you are welcome to record the event if you like.  If fact, let's get you right up front so that you don't miss anything" Kiork said to the reporters.

-

Kiork took the microphone.  "Thank you, Kai Naill" he said.  Then he offered her a slight bow.

"I mentioned earlier that the station is stronger than ever.  Not only figuratively, but literally.  By that I mean that the hull has been reinforced with titanium and that our shields and weapons have been upgraded.  And break away junctions have been installed to help prevent a repeat of the recent catastrophe.

I say this because I want to assure you all that you are safe here.  But the thing that I am most content about is our new ship.  The USS Seleyah.

The Seleyah is a Inquire class ship.  Fresh off the production line.  With all the most up to date technology.

I am told that she is the fastest and most tactically able ship currently available in the fleet.  Time will tell on that.  But  we are the first to have her.

So, I am happy to share that we will be returning to our most fundamental of purposes.  That being the purpose of exploring new worlds.  And leaning about new civilizations.

And as a bonus, the ships sensors will be tied to our computers here.  So as the Seleyah visits the planets in the Gamma Quadrant, we here at the station will be creating an up to date map of the sector.  In the newly installed stellar cartography lab that will be run by our science department that includes Sirol and Mr. McCutcheon" Kirok added

[Promenade]

EQ stood beside Sirol and the EMH.  He looked forward and stood at attention like he was trained to do.  But his eye were scanning the area for the food and beverages that had been set up for the party.

He looked from table to table.  Finally he found what he was looking for.  "Thank the gods, there are pigs n blankets at 3 oclock" he uttered.

[Ensign Gideon "Gryphon/Griff" Drake | Promenade | Katra Station]

Gideon double-taked when he heard the news of a newly included starship to the station. The Starship Seleya. Fitting...Katra Station, Starship Seleya...fitting when it came to Vulcans. Griff was especially interested to hear that the ship was the fastest and most tactically able...oh, he was so interested in being at the helm of that thing. Depended on how big it was.

He saw the refreshment table and noticed the steady line. Much as he'd replicate anything good later, he knew that the good stuff will be taken up and gone. He made for the table and came back over to chat with the ginger Trill and Serena...