Off Duty Briefing

Posted on Fri Apr 1st, 2022 @ 9:27am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Aiko Kato & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson

Mission: Jupiter Mystery
Location: USS Washington

Shran sat at his desk in his ready room awaiting the arrival of the senior staff. He was continuing to review the material Janeway had sent him regarding the Jupiter and what it had reported regarding the Opridion system. He was aware that this course diversion was taking them about a day away at high warp from where they were supposed to be going, though he was more aware that Janeway had called him because of his personal connection to the Jupiter and its crew. Something out of the normal had to have happened to cause that ship to go dark. What that was in an uninhabited system during an investigation of ruins was beyond him, but he would find out.

Dex, fully recovered found herself outside the captains ready room, she hoped that she was the first person there as she wanted to firm up the date and time for the wedding. Ringing his chime she waited for the instruction to enter.

"Enter" Shran said from his desk, his face buried in the files he was looking over.

Dex entered and stood to attention. “Captain, reporting as ordered sir but, I wanted to catch you before the rest of the crew came in. I believe Seth came to see you regarding our wedding and I wanted to ask. How soon are you able to officiate Sir?”

Shran slowly looked up from his reading. "Dex, I was considering as soon as possible, but that was before our diversion. Have the two of you decided how soon you'd like to do it or more to the point, how big a ceremony you want?"

She smiled, “the sooner the better Sir, today, tomorrow and we do not want a big ceremony, just witnesses and friends from the crew, oh and Puss of course. The important thing is our joining. We are at your disposal, according to the exigencies of the mission. We can celebrate at a later time.”

"Very well. I believe we would have time prior to the arrival at our new destination, assuming you and Seth can wrangle everything together. I would like to keep this separate from the mission itself though. I'm afraid this diversion we are on has a personal stake for me."

“Yes Sir I understand, tomorrow say 13.00 hours in the mess hall?”

"Are you sure you wish to have it there? Would not the arboretum be a better venue?"

She looked surprised, “you know I never thought about the arboretum, to be honest I have never been there, thank you Captain that is an excellent idea. 13.00 hours then in the arboretum.”

"Very well doctor." Shran considered the situation, "Perhaps you'd like to get a drink while we wait for the others to arrive." He waved his hand towards the direction of the replicator, though he could easily have been directing it towards the small drink center next to it.

Having been sitting at home, Callie and Jon arrived next, Callie smiled as she greeted Dex. “Hello Dex, it’s nice to see you looking better.”

Shon smiled, “yes I am back to full strength, no visions. I need to talk to you both after the briefing.”

Jon looked at Callie before replying, "Sure thing Shon."

Aiko arrived later than she had intended and nodded to the assembled senior staff. It was good to see everyone looking like their old selves and she had a mixture of anxiety and excitement at what the new mission they were about to embark on offered for them.

Commander Sam Howard jogged lightly towards the briefing, perpetually late and it seemed perpetually tired. Hopefully whatever was going to grace them next would be less 'intense'.

"Sorry sir, I was just finishing up with a patient" she apologized as she entered.

Dex looked at her CMO, she looked exhausted. “Sam what can I do to lighten your load? you need at least 24 hours straight sleep.” She looked at her boss and friend, “please Sam?”

"Having us not on the cusp of disaster every 5 minutes would help, I'm sure the Captain can manage that part" Sam quipped in good nature, trying to keep the tone light.

Celes could sense that something was wrong with Shran. Whatever he was about to brief everyone about, which she assumed had to do with the course change and the priority signal they had gotten just as they were leaving the bridge, she knew it was the cause of these feelings of darkness she was sensing from him. "Who contacted you?" she asked as an icebreaker.

Shran looked around and saw that everyone had arrived. "As you may have noticed we have altered course. I received a call from Admiral Janeway. The Jupiter was in this area and surveyed a planet six days ago, finding ancient ruins and detecting a signal of unknown origin. Before they sent an away team down they sent a message to Command about the signal and ruins, standard procedure as you all know. The ship hasn't been heard from since. We have been ordered to investigate."

Callie looked at Jon, she was looking forward to a slower, calmer mission after recent events now it seemed they were set to go on a possible search and rescue. “Perhaps they found something that someone didn’t want them to find.”

Jon had been quiet up till now. "They went dark for a reason, either of their own doing or someone else's. The important thing to remember is whatever the reason, it is something major."

Shran nodded. "I tend to agree. No known powers are in that area. The Klingons and the Gorn though neither of them would attack a Federation starship, especially a Galaxy class. We have ourselves a mystery that will need to be solved. I'd like to be cautious, bring us to yellow alert prior to our arrival."

"You are concerned about them because of your past. That was your ship at one time" Celes said softly.

"I became a captain on the Jupiter, yes. Most of the crew I trained personally, including its captain. I would say that is as good a reason as any that the admiral assigned us to go look for her. I have a distinct feeling we'll find the ship, though what the condition might be I can't say."

Aiko took in the information but had nothing to offer. There were a myriad of things that could have gone wrong for the Jupiter. Space was very big and there were thousands, if not tens of thousands of things vying to end any adventurous soul eager to explore.

Shon looked concerned, “I have a friend serving on the Jupiter. I wonder if it could be something medical, some catastrophic denouement?” She looked at Sam knowing she was not overstepping her authority. “ I advise if we go aboard or planetside we use medical infection protocols until we know what happened.”

Sam nodded in agreement but overall kept quiet, listening and absorbing all the details.

"We will certainly take all precautions as needed as things unfold doctor" Shran replied. "The information we have regarding the Opridion system comes from a probe that scanned it prior to the Jupiter survey. It is a binary system with six planets, two of which are class-M, we have a pair of class-J gas giants, a class-K planet, and a class-Y planet, along with dozens of moons of various class, particularly around the gas giants. The gas giants have created a buffer for the the class-M worlds from outside issues, which has created a large asteroid belt between them and the the habitable worlds. The class-Y, the notorious Demon class world, orbits nearest the twin stars. We will have a few navigational hazards to avoid but nothing out of the ordinary. I would like all departments to make ready for all possible contingencies at this time. Hopefully these preparations will be unused."

"Should we consider using the runabouts as scout vessels to allow us to scan the system more thoroughly and quickly?" questioned Celes.

"That sounds like a viable idea. Aiko, can your department handle it?"

Aiko nodded glad to actually have something to offer. "Absolutely, we've got several excellent pilots that are more than capable and would be up for the challenge, including myself. I'll have my team take a detailed look of the Opridion system.

"Aiko, I want you to be at the helm when we reach Opridion. I'm sure L'Rissa can pilot one of the runabouts and you pick another to lead the other. Celes can pick out companions that can scan everything to a maximum effect. I suspect we will be on course for one of the M-class worlds when we arrive to start our search for the Jupiter."

Shran looked around, "Alright, that is all I have at this point. Sorry to have pulled you in from your off time."

When Captain Shran had finished his briefing Dex looked at him waiting for his nod of permission.

“Whilst I have most of you here together I want to invite you all to a wedding. Captain Shran has kindly agreed in the best seafaring tradition to perform the marriage ceremony between myself and Lieutenant Seth Travis in the Arboretum tomorrow at 13.00 hours.”

She turned to Callie and took her hand. “Callie I would be very grateful if you would be my matron of honor? It is not a particularly onerous job, just help me get dressed and accompany me to the ceremony, will you?”

Callie’s smile practically shone, “I would be honored Dex.”

She then turned to Sam “Sam would you be willing to act as a witness?

"Of course" Sam replied with a smile.

“Deanna would you be a witness also please?”

Celes was surprised "I, um, yes. Yes, I would be honored."

“Jon” she said smiling at him, “would you talk to Seth and see if there is anything he needs? Thank you.”

Jon nodded a smile on his face, "Be glad to Shon." He answered making a mental note to see the diplomatic officer when the briefing was over.

“Aiko I would love you to be there as well if you can make it?”

"I would be honored" Aiko replied.

She looked around at the assembled company, “ I am sorry it is at such short notice but we had intended to get married before our Orion mission but things moved too fast.” She looked at Shran. “ since I came on board you have all become like family to me and I want to thank you for your help and friendship over which have been some difficult times. It will be a ceremony only tomorrow but after the mission ends we are hoping to have a large fancy dress party the theme being one of my favorite printed book trilogy’s, The Lord of The Rings by JRR Tolkien a very old author so, for those of you not familiar with this and I think that will probably be most of you.” She looked at them mischievously, “then you had better get some reading done or holodeck time in or, just ask me.”

She turned to the Captain, “thank you sir, we will get out of your way now unless there is anything else?”

Shran shook his head, "No, I called everyone together after shifts were over and they were on their off duty hours. I'd like everyone to get back to their lives for now. We have a great deal to handle come tomorrow."