Season 16: Episode 1: Perfect Replicas

[Tekin Nevir]

Captain's Log, Stardate 79005.2

Eight months.  It had taken eight months for Discovery and her crew to recover, and to be honest, I don't think the crew is fully healed.  Unfortunately, there is a large hole in our healing caused by a sizeable loss of crew.  The most that I have personally ever lost under my command.  Any other Captain might have taken that as a hint to retire, were it not the fact that I am not the only one, or even the one with the most.

Nearly 35% of our youngest officers lost their lives, and more than 60% of the older officers.  Starfleet command brass wasn't spared from the massive loss of life, but luckily the highest ranking and influential officers who had been impersonated by the changelings were kept alive. And that is the personnel.  The fleet's readiness level was down to 20% or less according to Starfleet Intelligence; that remaining 20% coming from the few ships that were kept on patrol like the Challenger, or the Titan.  My temporary assignment with the Enterprise-D has recently ended while the ship travels with her original command crew to her final resting place at the fleet museum.

Whether by the Prophets or just good timing, the Discovery is one of the first ships of the line restored and ready for service.  The benefit of having an older Prometheus class meant the disintegration of the fleet mode systems was much easier than the newer classes that had the foundation built into their structure. The truth is, however, that Discovery, as resilient as she is, has been going through more repairs and refits than was expected, even as a warship, and as a result, her days in service are likely numbered. The priority is low, but I have been made acutely aware that there may come a time when my orders are to bring her to decomissioning. I just hope I get a few more years out of her at least before that happens.

Luckily, my recall to Discovery is a little more heartwarming, as we prepare for a shakedown cruise plus priority mission, one that currently has some of the highest levels of secrecy.  Which is why I did not expect to cross through Spacedock's ops so soon....

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[Earth Spacedock - Operations to Temporary Starfleet Headquarters]

The lower half of Spacedock was still under repairs and reconstruction, but luckily there was no risk of debris re-entering the atmosphere.  Most of the docking rings were still either mission or under construction, which meant very few ships were able to be stationed inside.  Discovery was one of those ships, but it was because she was the first group of 5 ships ready for launch. Which is why Captain Tekin Nevir found himself crossing through the familiar Ops station towards the Admiral's office, which was currently the temporary headquarters for Starfleet's top brass.

The Bajoran had already contacted his XO and put into motion the recall of his crew.  Now it was just finding out his mission.  They couldn't afford to waste time on shakedowns, so their first outing would have to do.  That part he expected.  What he didn't expect was to be told that he had to physically see the Admirals to receive his mission.  He had only made it two steps in when he was stopped.

"Hold it, this will only take a second Captain." stated the now familiar voice.  Nevir looked up to see the older face of Starfleet's newest admiral. It didn't take long for Nevir to suddenly be bathed in bluish lights that traveled up and down his body.

"Dr Crusher, this is unexpected-" he began, but was then shushed.

"He's him.  Tekin Nevir, Captain of the Discovery."

"Thank you, Doctor." spoke another familiar voice, as the Admiral he saved stepped into view and took a seat.  "Sorry for the delay, we are testing a new sensor sweep for the changelings based on Dr. Crusher's transporter scanners.  Better than energizing every single person who walks through that door."

"Fair enough, thank you Doctor." Nevir added, taking a seat.  There were other top brass too, but many chose to stick to the shadows.  Maybe to avoid having their faces seen by a possible threat.

"Captain, we are about to send you on an important mission of a sensitive nature.  Everything here is for Security Level 10, is that understood?"

"Yes sir.. but 10... thats reserved for Omega isn't it?  Is that what we are dealing with?"

"Luckily no, the difference between that directive and this one is that you are allowed to share information on a need-to-know basis only... Senior staff only.  Starfleet Intelligence has a research station not on the charts.  It is apparently classified as a so-called 'black site'."  There was a throat clearing in the shadows, and Nevir's attention went to the person responsible before the admiral continued.

"Normally Starfleet Intelligence would be handling this, but they are as crippled as the general fleet. So we are sending you out there.  The purpose of the site is classified, but prepare for biological hazards.  What you are doing is doing a check on the site.  We've recently lost contact with them following reports of unrest.  Without the ability to send a ship, we are fearing the worst."

As if reading his mind, one of the SI officers spoke up and took a small step forward.  They were still in shadow, but he could see the uniform.  He couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn the comm badge was... black.

"The site was too far away to be affected by the Borg. Whatever happened there is of an unknown cause. Find out what you can, provide aid where available, and then leave the site.  Here is the information you are cleared for."

Nevir took the PADD in his hand and looked it over.  There was no access for the data to come onto or off of the PADD, it was basically as useful as a book.  There were several things that he wanted to ask, or state.  The most stupid of which is commenting that every time there is a secret site, its always something horrible and objectionable, but the Bajoran kept his mouth shut.

Here we go again...

[Rayek trLhoell]

Commander Rayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery - Deck Three - s'Lhoell quarters]

Rayek looked over the refurnished XO quarters.  The suite looked quite empty without the many personal items that he'd accrued over the past several years.  He found it a bit amusing that where once he preferred a sparse decor with no personalization, he now favored seeing items of emotional attachment scattered throughout his personal space.  A portrait of his family, a vase that had been gifted to him at their wedding, a gifted ceremonial lirpa - things like that which were now precious to him.

Thankfully many of the items had survived the Frontier Day battle, he just needed to have them brought aboard and unpacked.  Tess was still on Earth presently with Fvienn saying their goodbye's to the friends and family who they would be leaving to join Rayek on Discovery as he took up the Executive Officer role once more.  The Romulan was immensely grateful that Tess had been wiling to return, given the inherent dangers of civilian life aboard a starship like Discovery.  Until she arrived with their son and most of their belongings, the spacious quarters would feel very empty.

He dropped his duffel bag - containing his spare uniform, personal gear and a few toiletries - beside the double-sized bed and rooted through it a moment to locate his PADD; which he tucked into the back pocket of his uniform jacket - an alteration to his uniform that years ago Rayek had gotten approval for signed off by the Fleet's Chief Quartermaster.

He straightened his uniform, attached his commbadge to his jacket, and then checked for the presence of his phaser at his belt.   The firearm was rarely out of his sight since that day.  The counselor said he still had some trust issues - but had listed him Fit For Duty.  With everything ready, Rayek left his quarters and made his way onto the Bridge.

[USS Discovery - Deck One - Bridge]

The turbolift doors opened to the Bridge.  There he relieved and dismissed the station crewmember that had been 'holding down the fort'.

The Bridge was empty now, except for Rayek.  It was strange to see the normally active center of the ship so quiet.  The randy Romulan smirked slightly.  It was a shame that Tess hadn't chosen to join him.  They could have 'christened' the Bridge and even the Captain's chair with no one, other than them, the wiser.  Rayek knew he was skilled enough to cover up any romantic tryst on the ship's security camera's or other recording devices.  He'd had enough practice doing so on Katra and the Amalthea.  Rayek sometimes wondered about his fascination with coupling with his wife in risque and taboo locations.  Another time perhaps... for now he had work to do.  The orders from Tekin had requested he recall the crew back to the ship.

Rayek walked over to his chair, located to the side of the Command chair, and sent out the recall notice he had prepared earlier in anticipation of this moment.  The notice gave the crew a maximum of 2 hours to report-in to their Department Head via comms and board the ship. 

[James Ramort]

Commander Rayek tr'Lhoell

Rayek walked over to his chair, located to the side of the Command chair, and sent out the recall notice he had prepared earlier in anticipation of this moment.  The notice gave the crew a maximum of 2 hours to report-in to their Department Head via comms and board the ship.

[Luna | New Berlin | Transporter Hub]
He had eventually visited his family. They had asked him a lot to come for a stop back to Luna. He had always declined. The Memory was too fresh. Maybe he would see the Solar system never the same way again. But the Counsellors at Babel insisted it would be a good Idea. Reconnecting with his old life. Retracing old steps. Healing in a comfortable environment. They had ended his Assignment one week early. He didn't know they had that power. Reassigning a person because they well enough again.

Apparently they very much did.

He had spent a couple of days with them. It was an awkward situation. They could tell he wasn't the same person he had been barely a year ago. He felt like they secretly were happy too when the urgent call came for all Officers of Discovery to return to the ship as quickly as possible.

The orders came onto his personal PADD with an attachment. Information for him. Apparently his direct supervising Officer had been reassigned. Commander Kinley, he still saw the look on her face on that day on the Bridge someday, even if he knew it wasn't her fault, seemed to have been reassigned away from Discovery. He would actually miss her. They hadn't had much time to work together but she seemed like a very competent scientist and he would have loved to work with her. Now the entire Department had been placed under the Captains own direct command. If that was because resources were spare and science simply not as much a priority right now or because he felt personally responsible for them as long as they hadn't a new SO was anybody's guess but it wasn't the only news. He had been assigned a new quarter. Deck 6. A couple of Decks above his old one. The one he had spent only a single night in. The one he had shared with another Ensign. The Ensign he had no time to properly meet. The Ensign that had been buried in space far too early.
He wouldn't miss that quarter.
The reasoning for the new Quarter had baffled him though, until he reached the last document he had been sent. It was a formal certificate of promotion, updated clearances, a replicator clearance to replicate his new rank pip himself and a not very heartfelt sounding note form someone from Starfleet command that until the current situation (nice way to put it), had been resolved they sadly had not enough resources and manpower to hold the usual little ceremony Officers were afforded upon promotion to the Junior Ranks. It was a difficult time.

He hadn't imagined to be promoted this early but the holes the Borg had torn into the long lists of Starfleet Personnel had made them into a far shorter version of its former self. Personnel was sparse and they needed every woman and man they had left. In Fact it seemed like he would be the most senior primary Science Officer left on board of Discovery. He replicated himself a piece of cake to celebrate that and ate it in his room. The curtains closed as to keep the view of Earth out of it. The very view so many tourist travelled to Luna for.

After finishing his cake, it didn't take longer than a few minutes eating it by himself, he packed his few things and informed his family he had to go again. They shook hands and hugged each other, happy to still be alive, but the strange atmosphere hadn't dissipated yet. After that Ramort went to New Berlin's central Transporter Hub. Dozens of people were coming out of it, looking up into the sky and holding their breath as the eurasian plate was showcasing its magnanimous beauty above them. He just straight went into the Hub, his fresh uniform with the added pip hungrily absorbing the Starlight from beyond the Earth's Horizon.

[USS Discovery | Primary Hull | Deck 6 | Transporter Room]

As the Transporter released him from the Energy-Matter-Quasi-State he found himself onboard again. There were other People transporting onboard at the same time. He could see 2 Ensigns wearing the golden Uniform of Engineering and another one in the red of the Flight Crew. They all had an uncertain look on their faces, probably recruits whose training had been fast tracked to fill the holes in the Fleets Crew Rosters.

He nodded in their direction and had only one thing to say to them: "Welcome on Board everyone", he received some confirmatory nods from them, then they all left for their Stations and Quarters. Morale wasn't really great.

[USS Discovery | Secondary Hull | Deck 6 | Junior Officers Quarter 26]

His first stop was his new quarters, he wanted to leave his small case of belongings before heading for the labs. The Quarters weren't all that bad. He had a bed for himself now. His own Replicator and Desk. The view was also better. A nice window allowed for the Stars to shine into the room making it feel a lot larger than it actually was. But he liked the Stars, so he liked the room. Quickly stashing away his pads and Tricorder he turned towards the other Items. A rock he had picked up from Luna, old earth crust that had been exploded out into space after a planetoid had hit earth billions of years ago. He could relate to this rock. To pictures from his family, he eventually had accepted them, one from his parents and sibling on Cerberus, one taken just a day earlier with his extended family on Luna. They reminded him that there was a reason for the pain he endured. A reason beyond Science. A reason he had chosen to work for his commission. And finally a small metal fragment. It had one day dropped in his family's backyard on Luna, a piece of Hull from a Ship destroyed or damaged on Frontier Day that had been trapped in Luna's weak gravity. It also was a mark of survival.
This left one thing to do. He grabbed his pad and placed it on the interface:

"Computer, access PADD and file Starfleet Personnel Order to Lieutenant James Ramort, replicate the attached Certificate in a suitable frame and include attachment for a standard wall!"

The Computer acknowledged the Order with a confirmatory beep and the Replicator springing to life. After it had materialised he took the certificate and hung it on the wall:

Ensign Ramort,
You are hereby ordered to end your temporary leave and report back to the USS Discovery (NCC 78393-B) as soon as possible. You will resume this assignment with the Rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.
See the attached files for further information and congratulations.
Signed, Commander Dapu with Starfleet Command.

Then it was time to head out for the Lab.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Labs]

The Labs were empty. He had expected as much. According to the Crew Roster he was cleared to access the Science Department had significantly shrunken as it seemed he was the first of the bunch to report back to Discovery. The Lab was a lot larger and better equipped than the Revenants had been but with nobody present it also seemed somewhat eerie. As if it was a part of the Ship that had fallen into sleep 8 Months ago and not yet awoken. He presumably had free picking as for his work station with there being no formal Chief Science Officer at the moment so he picked a Station close by the bio suite. He tapped onto the Displays to wake them from their slumber and tipped in his new Codes.

"Computer, register the return of Lieutenant Junior Grade James Ramort to duty and mark the time in the Science Labs Lobs. Activate this Station and register to me. Then start up the rest of the Labs Systems and run a Level 1 Diagnostic on all associated Systems."

"Time logged, Running Diagnostic."

The Lab was springing to life and he sat down on the station and began writing a short note. Since he now reported to the Captain directly he hoped it was appropriately for him to direct this note at him directly.

To. Captain Tekin Nevir as Chief Science Officer of USS Discovery
From. Lt. Jg. Ramort
Content: Reporting for Duty as ordered, beginning to start up the Science Labs systems and clearing them for Departure.
End.
And coded it for immediate delivery.

[J.B Dersch]

| Doc Lilly | USS Discovery | Medical Bay |

Lilly had enjoyed her Vacation, But was Ready to get back to work. She was currently going through the Wards Inventory for Medical Supply's. She knew what they had, But wanted to make sure they had enough. She also knew quite a few officers transferred out to a new outpost on the Edge Of Romulan Space. Man, Bet that's fun, But also a little dangerous, Romulans tend to have a bit of...Never mind, But why am I talking crap about Romulans! The the XO is a Romulan! She didn't know anyone else here in medical, But she did want to get to know others, and not a be loner here.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

Tanner had been aboard long before anyone else had arrived. She'd left Earth a few days before the crew set to arrive to finish her security checks and ensure that everything was truly ready. That had been a bittersweet departure. She'd adjusted to life back on Earth with Jettis and Theresa. Each previous venture into space, she'd left with the knowledge of exactly when she would return.

There was no return date now. She'd never been that attached to a place before. It had made life easier. Now, she felt a little homesick.

Looking down at her PADD, she was grateful to see just one ship listed. With the staffing shortages, Tanner had been an interim department head for two other ships preparing to return to their regular duties. Thankfully, they were now staffed, and she was released from that juggling act just in time.

Catching a nearby turbolift, she moved to the next deck.

With the crew arriving, the empty corridors had come to life again. Tanner walked the decks, checking in with the new faces and her security personnel. Moving kept her sane. If she stopped, there was a risk of addressing the mixed emotions that stirred inside her.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10]

An hour later, she'd done all that could be and was resigned to return to her office. Paperwork time and new staff wanting to report in meant she had to be in a spot where they could find her. As she passed the labs, a familiar face caught her attention.  The young Ensign she'd given a tour to. No, not an Ensign anymore; a young Lieutenant. Assistance Chief, too. He'd been thrown in the deep end on his first time out and now was thrown even deeper with a leadership role and rank.

She walked through the lab doors, instantly missing the sound of Steve. Kinley's departure had been celebrated, but Tanner knew their permanent ray of sunshine would be missing.

"œWell, well," Tanner said as she caught his attention, "œLook who's jumping straight into it." She smiled, "œGood to see you, Lieutenant."

[Malik Grippen]

[USS Discovery, Deck III, Malik's Quarters]

Malik had nearly completed his start of shift ablutions in the same way he had done a thousand times before, a red crisp uniform free of a single crease, pips polished to a mirror finish, hair and complexion suitably tended and moisturised. A Risan really took great pride in their outward appearance and Malik was no different. On the inside, the past eight months had changed the Risan pilot. His typical Risan smile appeared less frequently, replaced with a sterner look and unfortunately, new face wrinkles. He had been hardened and moulded by the horrors of war. Malik and the Discovery crew had been involved in the now infamous battle of Space-Ops Hanger Bay 47. A battle that was so horrific, it was now used as exposure simulation training for new recruits at the academy. During that battle on Frontier Day, Malik had suffered near fatal injuries and was saved thanks to the efforts of at that time, a brand new Ensign Novi.

After undergoing emergency surgery and recovering at Starfleet Medical Headquarters on Earth, Malik had requested a medical transfer to Risa to begin his long road of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Part of his destroyed hip was now replaced with duranium composite implants and he had to effectively learn to walk again. His sister, Taja Grippen, had taken a sabbatical and travelled with him back to their paradise home world to take the lead in his rehabilitation. It had given the siblings that quality family time they had both sorely missed from the demands of their careers. Malik's determination had never faulted during the long and painful road to active service, he vowed to perform his duty better than ever before in memory of his fallen comrades. It was during the end of his recovery that the good news of his promotion had arrived and this spurned him on to be fully signed off and ready for service.

Malik had been back on Earth for a couple of weeks before the recall order came in. The Risan had been drafted in as a temporary flight training instructor at the Academy as the fleet busied itself with recovering from their devastating losses on Frontier Day. Giving one last check-up in the mirror, Malik left his quarters and made his way to the bridge. Now an even shorter turbolift ride away.

[USS Discovery, Deck I, Bridge]

Malik entered the bridge to find it empty save for the familiar shape of their Romulan First Officer. The Risan was early, the recall notice had been out for less than 30 minutes, but he wanted to get back in that helm seat as soon as possible and see how his new hip behaved.

"Greetings commander, reporting for shift, fully healed and ready to go."

[M'Nia]

M'nia had been a bit apprehensive about returning to the Discovery. A lot of friends and co-workers were gone. Victims of the Founders day massacre. It hurt. No doubt about it. She had been seeing a counselor about it. She suspected most people were. The time on the remnant was fun. But still, coming back was hard. She was doing alright, all things considered. She would get past this but still, engineering felt so empty. So many lives needlessly lost. She could only hope that their spirits had found peace in whatever afterlife they believed in. Eventually there would be new people, perhaps sooner rather than later.  Starfleet had been devastated by this. Still, they were resilient and would recover. They had to.

She looked around and sighed. It would take time for all of them to heal. Still she did like serving on board discovery. There was a certain solace on familiar surroundings. Onward, ever onward! her tail flicked back and forth as she contemplated everything. A new day. Time to continue on.

[James Ramort]

[USS Discovery | Deck 10]

An hour later, she'd done all that could be and was resigned to return to her office. Paperwork time and new staff wanting to report in meant she had to be in a spot where they could find her. As she passed the labs, a familiar face caught her attention.  The young Ensign she'd given a tour to. No, not an Ensign anymore; a young Lieutenant. Assistance Chief, too. He'd been thrown in the deep end on his first time out and now was thrown even deeper with a leadership role and rank.

She walked through the lab doors, instantly missing the sound of Steve. Kinley's departure had been celebrated, but Tanner knew their permanent ray of sunshine would be missing.

"œWell, well," Tanner said as she caught his attention, "œLook who's jumping straight into it." She smiled, "œGood to see you, Lieutenant."

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Labs]

Ramort was just busy with finishing the tests on the last of the Instruments and was looking forward to setting up his first experiment. He had taken a considerable bunch of Data from the Babel Station and was planning to finish work on that paper over the coming weeks. His station already was drowning in PADDs and three Screens were showing parallel simulations he was running on Warpfield Strength and the effects on certain plasma combinations on the local subspace fields. He was taking advantage of the Discoveries Computers not yet being busy with flying the ship and fully managing its many systems to crunch the most complex of the numbers.

When he heard a familiar voice he turned around to see who had approached him, a smile forming on his face as he recognised the same person that had originally welcomed him on board:

"Lieutenant, you're also back.", what sounded like a simple statement of fact was betrayed by the bright glow of joy that was emanating from his eyes. Seeing a friendly face again was such a welcome surprise he hadn't even considered it yet.

"Yeah, I am trying to get as much done as possible before we take off later. There is so much still to do, but what am I talking about, you probably have a lot more on your plate being responsible for the Entirety of Security and I only running some numbers. How have you been over the last months?"

While speaking he was putting aside his PADDs to pause his work for the conversation as a sign of respect.

"After the Revenant I've been assigned to a Research Station in the Babel System. Lots of Research, lots of Counsellors. They pulled the full program. At least I had lots of time to work on this", pointing at the screens behind him and the dozen or so PADDs scattered around the room, "has kept me busy after what happened on that day!".

[Dranik]

Dranik's quarters
USS Discovery

Dranik looked at the photos of his wife and children and let out a low sigh. He then looked down at the PADD he was holding and once again thought back to his and Ciavil's last few arguments regarding the practicality of trying to keep the family safe onboard the Discovery. He knew his marriage was on rocky ground at the moment and he knew a few of Ciavil's family were going to feed that particular fire with everything they had.

This situation was unfamiliar territory to the hirogen as were the faint lines of tears running down his face. He missed his wife and children but he knew Ciavil had made a number of good points during their last conversation.The Discovery was a starship designed mostly for combat and it had already gone through quite a bit. It's safer for them on Bolarus. I just have to keep telling myself that. They will be safer with Ciavil's family than with me.

As he put on his uniform, he kept thinking about how much safer they would be with Ciavil's family.

It didn't help much.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

"Lieutenant, you're also back.", what sounded like a simple statement of fact was betrayed by the bright glow of joy that was emanating from his eyes. Seeing a friendly face again was such a welcome surprise he hadn't even considered it yet.

"Yeah, I am trying to get as much done as possible before we take off later. There is so much still to do, but what am I talking about? You probably have a lot more on your plate being responsible for the entire Security, and I am only running some numbers. How have you been over the last months?"

While speaking he was putting aside his PADDs to pause his work for the conversation as a sign of respect.

"After the Revenant I've been assigned to a Research Station in the Babel System. Lots of Research, lots of Counsellors. They pulled the full program. At least I had lots of time to work on this", pointing at the screens behind him and the dozen or so PADDs scattered around the room, "has kept me busy after what happened on that day!".

"Actually, I never really left." Tanner laughed, "I've been here off and on for the past six months as she was rebuilt. I got moved around a bit to help where needed too, of course." She quickly added, "However, when I wasn't here I was back on Earth. I did take some down time."

She smirked at his dismissal of the work he was doing, "I'm no more busy than you are. It's a different kind of responsibility, but it still amounts to the same as any other department head. A thing you'll learn in time."

The mention of the Research station piqued her attention, as did the word 'counsellors.' Were they employed or just for him? Her brow furrowed briefly before she nodded, "A lot of us have worked hard to keep busy since that day." Tanner let out a quiet sigh,"I trust that everyone cleared their psych evals but there's going to be a lot of mixed emotion so we don't know what will happen as we move forward. We all have to look out for each other."

[Alexander Graham]

[USS Discovery-Bridge]

Alex spent some time in his quarters before reporting to the bridge for duty. He was concerned and wondered if the flight control chief was going to be okay. He hoped that this mission wasn't going to be as chaotic as the last but there was no way to know for certain. He left his quarters and reported to the bridge. He looked at Lieutenant Commander Grippen with a slight nod as he said "œHello Lieutenant Commander glad to see you are doing well. Chief Petty Officer Graham reporting for duty." He was excited to be working alongside the chief even if he wasn't at the pilot seat.

[James Ramort]

"Actually, I never really left." Tanner laughed, "I've been here off and on for the past six months as she was rebuilt. I got moved around a bit to help where needed too, of course." She quickly added, "However, when I wasn't here I was back on Earth. I did take some down time."

She smirked at his dismissal of the work he was doing, "I'm no more busy than you are. It's a different kind of responsibility, but it still amounts to the same as any other department head. A thing you'll learn in time."

The mention of the Research station piqued her attention, as did the word 'counsellors.' Were they employed or just for him? Her brow furrowed briefly before she nodded, "A lot of us have worked hard to keep busy since that day." Tanner let out a quiet sigh,"I trust that everyone cleared their psych evals but there's going to be a lot of mixed emotion so we don't know what will happen as we move forward. We all have to look out for each other."

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Labs]

"Well, for now I am only an Assistant, and a very new one at that. If you have any tips though I will be very grateful for any guidance you can give me. Formally Captain Nevir is personally responsible for us."

His face showed clearly the signs of not well hidden stress associated with that idea. He was still a young Officer after all and he didn't want to disappoint the Captain with the Trust he had placed in him, at least placed in him for now.

"As for the Evaluations. They had some Professionals stationed at Babel for all the Scientists that got assigned there after Frontier Day. I guess research wasn't the highest priority while they were busy rebuilding the fleet and training new Officers. I bet your weeks were a lot more eventful than ours there."

He decided against asking her if she also had to endure the Evaluation. She probably had since she held a key position on the Ship but they had asked him some pretty tough questions, bordering on retraumatization. In case she had endured a similar experience he didn't want to awaken those memories unnecessarily.

"I haven't yet received details about why we were recalled so spontaneously, if we get some downtime after this mission we should find some time to continue this conversation! Friendly faces are so rare and valuable these days".

[Vadok Alvarez]

The past eight months Vadok had done everything in within his means to try and bury the Frontier Day Massacre.   The first few weeks after where the hardest, when the slightest loud noise would put his entire body into full fight or flight.   When glaring lights made him think back to explosions in the shuttle bay.  Even the smells of things as simple as soldering smoke began to mix in with ghostly echoes and cries of the dying.

Like many he had taken to speaking to a counselor to try and process the events of that day, it helped to be equipped with the tools to cope through more intense moments of PTSD.  But the young ensign knew in his heart that there was a part of him that died that day in the shuttle bay, some small part that wouldn't be coming with him on board the Discovery.  Survivors guilt would tell him in his darkest hours that he should have been amongst the fallen, and many sleepless nights plagued him as he waited for the Discovery to be repaired.

When the call finally came out, Vadok was quick to pack what little personal belongings he had and run to the stations transporter terminals.   There was a hope that losing himself in his work would be a good way to bury the horrors behind him, or at the very least, to make the noise quieter.

[USS Discovery | Deck 6 | Transporter Room]

Vadok felt the thrum of his the transporter re arranging his molecules in the right order as the Discovery's transporter room materialized into his field of vision.   Eight months it had taken him just to take his first steps aboard the ship, there was something almost hallowed as he stepped down off the dias and began formal greetings to other ensigns whom he knew he would be spending many hours with down on the lower decks.

Checking his PADD, Vadok was assigned to Deck 13's Crewman quarters while the science labs where 3 decks above him.  At least it wouldn't be a long turbolift ride, and his mind was already formulating experiments he could run with some personal items that Starfleet approved to bring aboard.

Stepping onto the Turbolift, he made quick work of exiting to his assigned bunk

[USS Discovery | Deck 13| Crewmans Quarters]

The cacophony of the lower decks originally made Vadok tense with anxiety, but once he made his way through the bustling throng of ensigns and found a bed he could claim as his own space, the routine of packing away his things gave the young ensign a measure of comfort.  The mundane, the surety, a place for everything and everything in it's place brought a lot of comfort to his initially uneasy mind.

He made an effort to greet his fellow bunkmates, they all where pleasant enough though sadly none would be working with him in the labs.  Even so, Vadok was more emboldened as he finally made his way towards the labs proper to see where he would be working for the foreseeable future aboard the Discovery.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Labs]

Straightening his unform and making sure his com badge wouldn't be crooked, Vadok walked through the doors to the lab and saw immediately that there was already a conversation he most certainly was intruding on.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Labs]

"Well, for now I am only an Assistant, and a very new one at that. If you have any tips though I will be very grateful for any guidance you can give me. Formally Captain Nevir is personally responsible for us."

His face showed clearly the signs of not well hidden stress associated with that idea. He was still a young Officer after all and he didn't want to disappoint the Captain with the Trust he had placed in him, at least placed in him for now.

"As for the Evaluations. They had some Professionals stationed at Babel for all the Scientists that got assigned there after Frontier Day. I guess research wasn't the highest priority while they were busy rebuilding the fleet and training new Officers. I bet your weeks were a lot more eventful than ours there."

He decided against asking her if she also had to endure the Evaluation. She probably had since she held a key position on the Ship but they had asked him some pretty tough questions, bordering on retraumatization. In case she had endured a similar experience he didn't want to awaken those memories unnecessarily.

"I haven't yet received details about why we were recalled so spontaneously, if we get some downtime after this mission we should find some time to continue this conversation! Friendly faces are so rare and valuable these days".

Stiffening, he gave an informal nod of his head and cleared his throat as a way of announcing his presence and apologizing for it in the same tone.   Luckily it looked like he could have his pick of stations and found one that felt proper distance from any necessary chemicals or instruments he would need.   Best thing to do at this point was to get started so he could tune out the conversation.

"Computer please assign this station to Ensign Vadok Alvarez, and replicate half a dozen terracotta pots in 4 inch, 6 inch, and 12 inch increments suitable for basic garden experiments."

While the replicator did it's thing Vadok went to work organizing several small cases that held vials of seeds, root samples, soil samples and more Xenobotany paraphernalia.   Already he felt more at home as he grabbed several specimen brackets and began organzing his workspace.

[Lorut Vila]

0900 Hours
DS9
Three days earlier

Vila's recall had come at an opportune time. While she loved being "home", she was far too idle here. It wasn't the same as it had been when she was with the Militia, and then later, when she'd come through as a civilian with Ben. She stood in front of a brick, where she'd once carved her initials at age 9, part of the Bajorans brought here to work on the Station. If you didn't know where to look, you would've missed it. Behind her, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
Vila. You have been recalled. Do you...think you're ready?

She turned and smiled. "Moba! I am never ready, but...it's for the best, I think. I know that I am happiest here, but...if I don't go back, it's almost as if I let them win," she said. He nodded, but lifted his hand to brush some hair out of her face.

Well, we can't let the Cardassians be right, can we? Go on. You're due in three days, and it's a long trip to San Francisco. I'd offer to go with you, but your aunt and your mother will have my head.

Vila chuckled. "We Lorut women certainly have that ability, don't we, Uncle? Alright. Tell Auntie I love her, and I'll see her again soon. I will send a relay back as soon as I can," she said. She watched him go, and then turned back to "her" brick. After running a hand across the engraved letters, she smiled, but turned away. Several hours later, she was on a shuttle back to HQ. Hopefully, things would go better this time. She'd been undergoing both intense counseling and physical medical care, but she wasn't well yet. She didn't know if she could ever be truly well, anyway.

0800 Hours
USS Discovery
Three Days Later (ish)

As she stepped through the docking bay doors, Vila took a deep breath. Her shiny new PiPS glittered in the light. She didn't know how or why, but she'd somehow survived long enough to earn a promotion. She felt the familiar pang-the urge to stiffen, to go into "fight mode", but she took another deep inhale, and tried to remember how to do that dumb box breathing thing that these Fleet counselors were stuck on. She took a few steps forward. And then a few more. She was ok. She relaxed a bit, and moved towards the familiar corridor. It was ok. So far.

She made her way to the Bridge, fully expecting someone to be there to intercept her. She wouldn't blame them. But surprisingly, she found her voyage across the ship and through the corridors uneventful, stepping into the Turbolift that would take her to the Bridge.. Once she arrived, she stepped in gently, and saluted. With a small smile, she spoke. "Commander tr'Lhoell, sir. Lt Junior Grade Lorut, presenting for duty as ordered," she said.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Commander Rayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery - Deck One - Bridge]

[USS Discovery, Deck I, Bridge]

Malik entered the bridge to find it empty save for the familiar shape of their Romulan First Officer. The Risan was early, the recall notice had been out for less than 30 minutes, but he wanted to get back in that helm seat as soon as possible and see how his new hip behaved.

"Greetings commander, reporting for shift, fully healed and ready to go."

The soft sound of the turbolift door opening, announced the Bridge's first returning officer.  Rayek glanced up from his PADD which he was using to track who among the crew had reported in, so far.  Dark assessing eyes looked over the Risan a moment before he nodded.  "Welcome back, Lieutenant Commander, that's good to hear.  I trust that you've had time enough to review the most recent changes to the ships roster.  We've had quite a few transfers out to the new station and several new crew from the Academy.  I'll want you to oversee their settling in, and I'll want to arrange for introductory meetings with each one."

The Romulan was keenly aware of how far behind he was on his 'meet and greet' meetings, and he intended to work long hours to close that gap.   "Helm is yours.  The Captain should be returning soon with our orders.  The tone he conveyed sounded like the notice he got was urgent, so begin preparing the ship for disembarking at the end of the 2 hour boarding window."

A short while after the Risan had taken seat at the Helm, another flight officer arrived and announced himself to Grippen.

[USS Discovery-Bridge]

Alex spent some time in his quarters before reporting to the bridge for duty. He was concerned and wondered if the flight control chief was going to be okay. He hoped that this mission wasn't going to be as chaotic as the last but there was no way to know for certain. He left his quarters and reported to the bridge. He looked at Lieutenant Commander Grippen with a slight nod as he said "œHello Lieutenant Commander glad to see you are doing well. Chief Petty Officer Graham reporting for duty." He was excited to be working alongside the chief even if he wasn't at the pilot seat.

Rayek noted CPO Graham's arrival but didn't intervene; instead he return his attention to his PADD.  He had his own department to oversee.

Due to the limited number of senior personnel, Rayek had passed on the Chief of Sec/Tac position fully to Lieutenant Lachlyn, who he had full confidence in, while he took over the Chief of Operations role.  Things were so tight with personnel, even Captain Tekin was assuming a Chief's position with the Science department.  Rayek secretly wondered if the Captain was just taking advantage of the situation to have one more go at his favorite department.   Not that Rayek blamed him at all if he was.  The Romulan hoped that overseeing the labs might bring a bit of joy to the former science officer.

Time counted down.  Nearly 90% of the crew were aboard with only 20 minutes to go on his timeline remaining.

0800 Hours
USS Discovery

As she stepped through the docking bay doors, Vila took a deep breath. Her shiny new PiPS glittered in the light. She didn't know how or why, but she'd somehow survived long enough to earn a promotion. She felt the familiar pang-the urge to stiffen, to go into "fight mode", but she took another deep inhale, and tried to remember how to do that dumb box breathing thing that these Fleet counselors were stuck on. She took a few steps forward. And then a few more. She was ok. She relaxed a bit, and moved towards the familiar corridor. It was ok. So far.

She made her way to the Bridge, fully expecting someone to be there to intercept her. She wouldn't blame them. But surprisingly, she found her voyage across the ship and through the corridors uneventful, stepping into the Turbolift that would take her to the Bridge.. Once she arrived, she stepped in gently, and saluted. With a small smile, she spoke. "Commander tr'Lhoell, sir. Lt Junior Grade Lorut, presenting for duty as ordered," she said.

Rayek looked up to see Lorut offer him a salute.  The Romulan's left eyebrow rose in surprise.  The right eyebrow joined the left moments later when Lorut smiled towards him.

Eight months had made a huge difference in the Bajoran's attitude from what he could see.  This explained the promotion.  He cleared his throat as a stall to cover his near shock. His eyebrows lowered from under his bangs.

"Welcome back, Lieutanent Lorut.  Please take main Ops and begin a check of the ship's intercom system, computer systems and power systems, in preparation for an early disembarkation.  Report your results to me when done."  He listed off a number of tasks for her, knowing that she had always done better when she was kept occupied.

" Oh...and  Lieutenant, congratulations on your promotion..." and then in a slightly louder voice to carry the distance to the Helm, "And to you as well Mr. Grippen.  Perhaps to celebrate the recent promotions and transfers onto our fine ship, we should open up the Lounge or the Holodeck to a social mixer ... get the crew mingling."