YE/D01 - Briefing Room

[Paul]

==

[Peter Jensen]

Peter was the first in the briefing room, setting up for everyone. Given the size, or lack of same, the middies would have to stand. Which was fine, honestly. He'd done so as a Middie, so they could too. Besides, how long was this briefing gonna take?
And what kind of mission was this, even? Of course that was the question before every mission, but he couldn't help but have a feeling that this mission was different somehow.

All there was to do now was wait for the Captain to come tell them.

[Mika Bowman]

Upon being summoned, Mika could feel a growing sense of nervousness. As she approached the Briefing Room, she regretted leaving her coffee thermos in the Science Lab. Although the coffee would have helped calm her nerves, it would not have been as professional as carrying a PADD for note-taking. She felt somewhat out of her element but was determined to make the most of the knowledge she would gain.
 
She was relieved to find that the ship’s schematics indicated a route to the Briefing Room that did not pass through the Bridge, which would have made her feel conspicuous. While she preferred working in the labs, she understood the necessity of attending the meeting, even though she remained unsure why she had been required to join. Upon entering the Briefing Room from the corridor, she was surprised to find that only the First Officer was present.
 
Now there is the question of how they will perceive me being the first Midshipman to arrive. I wasn't aiming to be either the first or the last, since both extremes can be problematic. It seems I should now maintain a low profile.
 
This environment was not familiar to her, and given the limited seating, she did not expect to sit down. If the Yeager were more aligned with typical Starfleet vessels, Mika likely wouldn't have been ordered to attend this briefing. Instead of working comfortably in the labs, she was now expected to stand through what she presumed would be a routine briefing. As she settled against the wall, she wished the PADD in her hand was a cup of coffee instead.

[Artemis d'Tor'an]

Artie marched into the Briefing Room with an attitude that could only be described as determination. Her hands were empty; she saw no reason to carry a PADD since her accompanying Middie had grabbed one, and Braggins didn’t usually dish out information anyway.

The first person she noticed in the room was Peter: she made eye contact and smiled, and then quickly looked away. 
There was also a Midshipman from the Science Department - she side-eyed her own Middie, remembering how much the lowest rank liked to gossip.

Not wanting to be the first person to sit down (it was a tactical disadvantage), Art waited next to a chair, facing the main doorway. 
She wished she could talk telepathically to Jensen, if only to get his personal read on what was going on.


==Tags to Jensen and Alden!==

[Leo Alden]

Not wanting to waste time or risk scrambling mid-brief Leo had his PADD prepared for taking notes by the time they reached the door.

He didn’t march in like his Department Head, but his slightly longer strides and the faint flush on his face showed the effort it had taken to keep up with her. She hadn’t said a word the entire way, and something about her pace and demeanor told him he shouldn’t either.

As they entered, Artemis greeted Commander Jensen with a quick smile before scanning the room. Leo followed her gaze, spotting a Midshipman who Leo recognised as Mika, standing against the wall, looking a tad uneasy.

To be expected, I suppose. Middies aren’t usually called into briefings. Guess we’re all on edge.

Then, d’Tor’an’s eyes flicked to him. Just for a second, a brief side-eye.

Leo responded wordlessly, a subtle but deliberate shift: shoulders back, chest out, a slight rise of the chin. He hadn’t known her long, but his gut told him it was enough. A quiet acknowledgment that he saw and understood what she meant by that glance.

Trying to present himself well, Leo took position a step back and to the side of Artemis, standing at ease, hands clasped behind his back. His grip on the PADD was a little too tight, a precaution against dropping it, but he stood firm, silent, and ready to make himself useful.

== Tags ==

[Jadaris]

Jadaris stepped into the room, and the first thing he noticed was Artemis standing across from the doorway, and then he saw Jensen. However, Jadaris didn't sit down either, due to the fact that someone had forgotten to stock a chair that was big enough for the Gorn to sit on without looking like an adult sitting on a child's chair. So he stood behind the chair in the middle of the table, between both ends.

Jadaris had a PADD, like most Engineering personnel, though this one had the Master Systems Display linked to it so Jadaris could keep an eye on everything in real time. However, he saw both midshipmen in the room standing up. Being something of a gentlegorn, Jadaris said,

"Midshipmen, either of you are welcome to my seat at the table if Midshipman Campbell doesn't show up. Its not as if I'll be sitting down in those chairs anytime soon."

Looking at his PADD, he indeed noticed that he had assigned Midshipman Campbell to another shift, but hoped the engineer would show up anyways since an order from the First Officer was one not to be ignored.

==tag==

[Arwen Qi]

<<<< Bridge <<<<

Qi smiled warmly at Mika as he took his seat. He was glad to see that she was getting a share of the spotlight on her first mission.

Just offer a couple of insights and try to keep cool. Easier said than done, but she might manage. She doesn’t seem like the nervous type.

As they waited for the captain to arrive, he spent some time reviewing the latest sensor readings on his PADD. He didn’t know what the mission would require, but it never hurt to reread the homework right before the quiz.

== Tag all ==

[GM-04]

As the final officers trickled into the Briefing Room, the doors hissed open and in stepped a tall Trill male with a tanned complexion, dark hair, and vibrant green eyes. He was exquisitely dressed in a fine business suit, that had obviously been fitted and tailored to his physique. For anyone familiar with humanoid facial expressions, the man was putting a pleasant veneer over deep-seated dislike of the situation. Behind him stood a tall human wearing the uniform of a Starfleet Security Lieutenant Commander; he too had dark hair and a scruff of facial hair, and maintained an expression of professional neutrality, though his eyes suggested he was not the civilian's biggest fan.

Jensen, and to a lesser extent, D'Tor'an, would recognise the man as Lieutenant Commander Bryan Crawford. Little brother of the famous Captain Tyra Crawford. Also Captain Braggins' husband.

The Trill looked around the room at the assembled officers, frown deepening and further creasing his features, and he released an exasperated sigh.

"Where is Captain Braggins? Can she not even be on time for her own briefing?"

Eyes scanning the room, they settled on Jensen, the only occupant wearing command maroon.

"What kind of circus is she running here, Commander?"

[Peter Jensen]

It was an open secret that Peter's relationship with Braggins had not always been...shall we say....the best? But he had come to respect her in a way.
And even just from the point of view of unit cohesion, he was loath to let anyone disrespect the ship's captain, in front of her senior staff and Midshipmen. Not even this well-dressed stranger who looked like he thought that his and/or his symbiote's excrement was not malodorous. Peter calmly stood up from his seat, meaning to portray a casual gesture, but the real intention was body language. The stranger standing up while saying that kind of nonsense was, in Peter's mind, clearly a dominance tactic.
No doubt he was important, but there was also a limit to what Peter would tale from him, and standing up to look him in the eyes rather than than looking up at him from a seated position, did make a difference.

"The Captain will join us once she is ready to deliver the mission briefing. And she's not running a circus, she's running a starship. A starship whose crew I will kindly thank you to not disrespect by calling it a circus", he said in a tone that was still well within the line of propriety but definitely also had steel behind it, and then changed the subject.

"In the meantime, perhaps some introductions are in order", he remarked, and looked at the well-dressed stranger.

"I am Commander Peter Jensen, First Officer. This is our Chief Engineer, Commander Jadaris, our Chief Science Officer,  Leftenant Commander Qi, our Chief of  Security, Leftenant d'Tor'an", he pointed out the senior staff one at a time

"And Midshipmen Alden and Bowman", he finished, gesturing to the two middies, then looked at the newcomer for his response.

== Yay for space Karens I guess ==

[Jennifer Braggins]

Though voices had not been raised, Jenny's enhanced hearing had picked up the entire exchange between Jensen and the diplomat as she strode through the doors into the Briefing Room, PADD in one hand and freshly-replicated mug of coffee in the other. Making no effort to acknowledge the interaction that had occurred between her First Order and the Diplomatic Corps weenie, she instead moved straight to her chair at the head of the table. She did, however, spare a small smile for her husband as she passed.

"Please take your seats, everyone."

Scanning the assembled officers, she noted that there was no senior staff representation from Sickbay, nor were several of the requested Midshipmen present. Suppressing a frown, she instead took her seat and placed her PADD and coffee mug in front of her. 

"Peter, please contact Sickbay and ensure they got your message about the briefing."

As Jensen got on that, Jenny connected her PADD to the briefing room holoprojector and the lights automatically dimmed. The projector displayed a 3D image of a solar system comprised of a main-sequence star, a class M world, asteroid belt and a series of spatial anomalies. The diplomat, not having a chair of his own, was forced to stand off to the side with the Midshipmen.

"This is the Wairara System, about thirty-five light-years to the galactic south of Starbase 214. It's home to one inhabited planet, also called Wairara. Long-range probes haven't given us much on the Wairara as a culture, but we do know they are warp capable and from intercepted communications, we also know that their culture is based around their faith in what they call 'The Great Race'; the belief that overcoming constant challenge drives the spirit of life and advancement."

Taking a sip from her coffee mug, Jenny continued.

"The Wairara system is home to several unique spatial anomalies, including a temporal-particle stream. The Wairara ships have also been identified travelling in excess of one third light speed at impulse power, without noticeable signs of time dilation. Starfleet Applied Sciences and the Theoretical Propulsion Group would very much like to get a good look at the system and its technology, which is where we come in."

Taking a breath for a moment, Jenny leaned forward and placed her arms on the table.

"The Federation Diplomatic Corps has, in its infinite wisdom, assigned us to establish First Contact with the Wairara. Wairara tradition is to greet new species by challenging them to a race. Commander Jensen will command the Glennis during the race, with Chertstone as pilot, Campbell as Engineer, Bowman as Science officer, Bremner as Medic, and Alden as Tactical Officer."

No doubt that would cause quite a stir among the crew; it wasn't often that the lower deckers were asked to do anything important, and yet Jenny was assigning them the most important task of the mission; it didn't matter how well she performed as a diplomat if they didn't demonstrate a respect for Wairara culture. Besides, Jensen deserved a chance to really show what he could do, and shepherding wayward Midshipmen was an excellent way of doing that.

"While Commander Jensen and the Midshipmen have all the fun, the rest of us will be engaging in diplomatic niceties and trying to get a good look at the things Starfleet wants us to look at. To that end, the Diplomatic Corps has assigned Mister Tomer to assist in negotiations. Before he provides us with a diplomatic briefing, does anyone have any questions?"

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Flint Chertstone – Tactical Officer ==
>> Bridge >>

Following the Captain into the room, Flint's swagger faltered briefly when he realised it was standing room only. But that was okay. As Braggins took her seat at the head, being the last in he opted for crossing his arms and leaning back against the bulkhead trying to look as nonchalant as possible as the briefing began.

But when his name was mentioned, he straightened back up and began looking about the room putting two and two together while trying to put names to faces before his ego kicked in and a cocky grin appeared on his face as he imagined himself at the controls of the Yeager's Aeroshuttle.

Promotion to Alpha shift and now mission selected. Chertstone's personal star was certainly rising today.