New Arrivals

[Jennifer Braggins]

==Subplot thread for newly-arriving characters to get introduced.==

[Jennifer Braggins]

==Command Offices - Starbase 214==

Jenny reached down beside her chair and scratched Raiju's head while she read the latest estimates of the Yeager's refit program, the Thunderwolf's satisfied grumbling as he stretched and leaned a spiny head into her hand doing wonders to take her mind off the aggravation she was beginning to feel. She'd known the Yeager wasn't ready for deployment when they'd shipped out, but her tussle with the Os'rusa had knocked her about more than she'd been ready for, and several key systems were in need of repair. To make matters worse, Lieutenant Hydish had taken an emergency leave of absence for a personal matter, and the Yeager's Pakled designer, Specialist Nahamcam, wasn't the easiest of people to have a conversation with.

She might be brilliant but her grasp of Federation Standard leaves a lot to be desired.

Given the albeit limited data they had collected during their skirmish with the Os'rusa, Jenny had hoped that someone at the Corps of Engineers had taken a look at her proposal to refit the weapons array; so far she'd received no news, meaning either nobody had looked at it, or someone with a box around their pips was stonewalling her. It was infuriating, but at least she wasn't being hauled up in front of a competency board or subjected to a JAG hearing.

Again.

In happier news, however, her crew shortage woes seemed to be coming to an end. Starfleet Command in all of their wisdom, had found her a supply of new Midshipmen as well as more veteran crew who, for one reason or another, had volunteered or been voluntold to report for duty aboard Starfleet's weirdest starship class. They'd also rustled up a new Chief Engineer; a Commander Jadaris, a veteran of many now-storied vessels with experience in both Science and Engineering departments; the fact he was Gorn wasn't quite a mark against him, but Jenny remembered painfully well that the last Gorn she'd served with had been discharged following a friendly-fire incident.

Open mind, Jen. Open mind.

With a sigh, Jenny flipped through the last of the report, signed off on having received and reviewed it, and went on to the next item on the agenda. As she reached for her glass and found it sadly empty, Jenny exhaled deeply and hoped that something would break the monotony of the paperwork that continued to pile up.

[Amethyst Bremner]

After hanging out on the star base DS9 for a couple days, Amethyst was ordered to go to meet the USS Yeager at Starbase 214. The ride there was easy. She spent her time in her quarters studying the new crew manifest of the ship. As a doctor she wanted to be prepared for her first assignment.

My first assignment, she thought, fighting the urge to scream like a lunatic.

Arriving at the starbase, her luggage was beamed aboard the Yeager, and she was beamed to the base. As she stepped off the transporter platform, she looked down at her five foot six frame and smoothed out any wrinkles her teal uniform might have in transit. She was told to report to Captain Braggins in the command offices. Making her way to the offices, she pulled back the front part of her red hair and pinned it back, keeping it out of her face.

Amethyst arrived at the office and her nerves spiked to where she thought her heart would beat out of her chest. She took a deep breath and clutched her PADD. Having steadied her nerves the best she could, she entered the captain's office.

Standing at attention, while slightly trembling, and voice cracking, "Midshipman Dr. Amethyst Bremner reporting for duty, Captain."

==Tag Captain Braggins==

[Mika Bowman]

Bureaucracy at its finest, something scientists had been dealing with for centuries. Instead of just originally ordering her to wait at Starbase 214, Mika had been sent to Deep Space 9. On one hand, it didn’t feel as though any part of it were directed at her personally. However, it didn’t make her think the whole situation was any less moronic. Instead, she now found herself walking through the corridors to the offices on Starbase 214.
 
Scientific matters always seem to take a backseat when it comes to, well I guess anything. Could I have gotten some more leeway when it comes to civilian life? Perhaps I could’ve but at the same time I could’ve had to jump through many more hoops, to get access to new areas of space. So, is dealing with bureaucracy more that big of a turn off? Time has yet to tell.
 
After several minutes, she approached the office that had been designated as being used by Captain Braggins. Honestly, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the captain. It’s also not like she even expected to need to get to know the other woman any better, as odds were it’s not like she’d be interacting with the command officers on a regular basis. Mika wasn’t one to have any aspirations of advancing to higher positions. Not seeing anyone else outside the office, Mika respected general procedures, and activated the chime.
 
Time to get this over with, I guess.
 
== Ding-dong. ==

[Callan Campbell]

With the last leg of his long journey to meet his assigned starship done, Midshipman Callan Campbell followed the directions to the office of his new commanding officer.

Starbase 214 was a week’s travel from Deep Space Nine, where he had spent a little downtime waiting for various crew to assemble in order to board the transport onward to the next starbase. This one wasn’t as ‘colourful’ as DS9, and as one would expect from a station close to the edge of Federation space and neutral space beyond, it was more ‘functional’. The young engineer found himself feeling both excited and mind-blown to think of the immense distance he’d come from his home on Earth to get here.

Coming to a stop, Callan stood and checked the information on his padd for the umpteenth time, and then the number on the door in this otherwise featureless corridor, and put his hand up to press the panel at the side of the door to request access. The door swished open and he stepped inside.

There were unfamiliar faces already in the room, but he did recognise Amethyst, that is, Doctor Bremner he mentally corrected himself, a fellow midshipman and recent graduate of Starfleet Academy that he’d met at Deep Space Nine just before they received orders to continue travelling on to meet the USS Yeager at 214. He gave her a small smile of recognition for a second before stepping forward to present his credentials to his new commanding officer. Captain Jennifer Braggins sat at a desk and held a padd in her hand. There was an empty glass on the desk, suggesting she had been in the office for some time before this meeting. Callan felt nervous and exposed standing like this, but he took a short breath and spoke up.

“Midshipman Callan Campbell, reporting for duty sir.” the Scotsman said in his distinctive lilting accent.

== Tag Captain ==

[Jennifer Braggins]

Raiju yawned as Jenny sorted through an endless list of provisioning requests, everything from Quantum Torpedoes to Self-Sealing Stem Bolts to Toilet Paper; things that would be needed in an emergency situation where replicators might not be accessible, or where having the supplies immediately on-hand was preferable to waiting for them to be replicated. Why any of this required her signature, she wasn't sure, but Lieutenant Sharp was as meticulous about getting her paperwork squared away as she was effective as a scrounger.

In short, very.

With a wistful smile as she remembered another effective scrounger and accumulator of rumour and gossip, the inestimable Cera Morgan on the Artemis, Jenny heard the door chime. Her own yawn stifled, barely, by her hand, Jenny glared at the Thunderwolf whose yawns had become contagious and who now faced the door with ears pricked up and forward. Quickly glancing up at the clock on the wall, she scowled; if this was the new Midshipmen, they were early. With a word, she accepted her guests and looked up from her PADD as the three newest members of her crew presented themselves.

Callan, Bremner, Bowman. Engineering, Medical, Science.

Not for the first time since trading Tactical red for Command crimson, Jenny was briefly stunned by how young newly-graduated Midshipmen looked. Whether it was her own experiences at the tip of the spear, where Middies grew up quickly or not at all, or simply a sign she was getting older, Jenny wasn't sure. She was sure, however, that they were going to keep looking younger and younger every time they reported in.

Callan and Bremner seem nervous. Bowman doesn't feel like she wants to be here. This is going to go swimmingly...

Placing the PADD down on her desk to accept the PADDs with the Midshipmen's own assignment orders, Jenny leaned back in her chair with what she hoped was a warm smile. It wasn't often that a Starfleet Captain greeted new officers with jacket off, undershirt sleeves rolled up exposing intricate tattoos that ran the length of her left forearm and up into the sleeve, and purple hair that transitioned into orange at the tips. Nor did most Captains have an open box of cigarettes and battered-looking lighter next to the computer terminal.

"Please sit down, all of you. One of the benefits of having an office on a Starbase is there's always enough chairs. While I'd have preferred to receive you aboard the Yeager herself, she's having work done which means most of the ship is inaccessible."

Jenny quickly scanned through the profiles of each officer on the PADDs they had provided as they took their seats, digesting the written orders they had received, Academy scores, and merits, demerits and lecturer remarks at a rapid pace. Her frown was of concentration, and eased when she placed the third PADD back on the desk.

"These seem all in order. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of what's going on here and what I expect of my crew, tell me; what made you join Starfleet? In your own words, not something I can read in your service jacket."

[Amethyst Bremner]

Having heard the question from Captain Braggins, Amethyst looked at the other new Midshipmen.  Looking into Callan's eyes, she found strength in his demeanor. She sat in one of the chairs, looked directly at the captain and searched for her strength.  She felt a hand on her shoulder, it calmed her, so she assumed it was the spirit of her grandfather.

Clearing her throat, she began, "Well, first would like to say it is nice to meet you Captain Braggins," she then turned to the creature next to the captain, "and Dr. Beinn. I chose to be a Starfleet doctor because I was called to it. On my mother's home planet, we are an original family of The Third House, the house of health and my family governed over all the health clinics. At 7 years old, my twin brother and I created a children's clinic. Our father was a Starfleet doctor, Dr. Rory Bremner. I went to live on Earth with my grandparents, who were local doctors in Wick, Scotland. They did house calls and I helped them. I actually saw all of the easy cases, and the kids who were my age. I feel more at home fixing the human machine, than anything else in the universe, except maybe growing tulips. I knew then I wanted to be a doctor. I loved researching diseases, and I knew starfleet afforded me the opportunity to research new treatments and cures."

Amethyst blushed realizing she was rambling again. She felt he hand reach over to Callan's hand. She didn't know why, but this Scottish man made her feel calm and comfortable, just like her grandfather. She scanned the room again, wishing someone would talk, as her face felt hotter and hotter. She wondered if most new officers felt like this reporting to their first assignment. She, also, wondered why Dr. Beinn didn't say anything. Were The Children of San-Tarah usually this quiet?

[Callan Campbell]

Callan sat as instructed and listened to Captain Braggins’ question for the new crew members. It was hard not to stare at the large creature that the captain was stroking. Callan had no idea what the creature was but he hoped that the penalty for the wrong answer wasn’t to be eaten by it.

What made me join Starfleet?

Callan had been asked the question a lot of times, by family, friends, but somehow being put on the spot right now by his new commanding officer stopped him in his tracks before rolling out his usual ‘I like going to new places’ which usually satisfied whoever asked the question. It wasn’t going to this time. It wasn’t completely true either, or rather it was only a part of it. Defining the reason, in one neat sentence, was not easy to do.

Amethyst spoke up first, and Callan listened to her answer with interest and made a mental note to ask her about some of it whenever the right time presented itself. When she finished he waited a beat before finding his own voice.

“It would be easy to say that I’m following in my father’s footsteps in Starfleet, and as an engineer, Sir,” he began, “but I’m a hard worker, I like to fix things, solve problems, I like challenges, I like to help people, and I like to travel. Starfleet embodies all those things to me.” he said, hoping it was the answer that Captain Braggins wanted, but it also happened to be true. He wondered if he should have elaborated, but hopefully short and succinct would be good enough?

== Tag ==

[Mika Bowman]

Entering the office, Mika found that there were two other newcomers as well. Not that she could argue with it being an efficient use of time for the captain, being much easier to handle new members of the crew. The hardest thing to swallow was how much Captain Braggins seemed to appear ‘unprofessional’ when compared to what one would expect from a commander. She listened on as the captain addressed them, and then asked about something that wouldn’t be in their records.
 
I take it that she’s trying to sound down to earth. I can respect that. Not saying we’re all going to be best buddies, or whatnot, but the effort is appreciated.
 
Something that caught Mika off-guard was when the doctor, she believed she’d heard that it was Bremner, had also started to address the wolf in the room, as though they were a staff member of the crew as well. Mika had taken notice of the Rylan Thunderwolf, and even if she didn’t know what it was it clearly looked more like the captain’s pet. Which Mika figured the captain wasn’t keeping her staff as pets, something that would’ve been highly inappropriate. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, the scientist kept her mouth shut.
 
Hearing the answers from the other two Midshipmen, Mika figured her reasoning for joining Starfleet was going to be the blandest of them all. Not that it mattered what people thought of why she joined the service. It was her own reasoning, and that’s all that counted for her.
 
“Honestly? I want to explore the unknown. I realize that sounds like a copout answer, but if I really wanted to I could’ve easily worked at a laboratory on Earth, like my parents wished. They don’t hold a very high opinion of Starfleet, and if they were standing in this room right now, I’m sure it would be much lower. No offense, Captain.”
 
Considering what the Captain looked like, at the moment, Mika wanted to make sure she wasn’t seen as insulting the captain on her first day. She also wanted to make it clear she didn’t harbor the same feelings as her parents, not that she ever seemed to understand them, especially not having talked to them for four years. It was her story now, not theirs.
 
“But, where the fun in being lightyears from where all the discoveries are being made. Starfleet is typically out there in the vast unknown, and is usually one of the first to find new and interesting things out there. I’d be a fool to ignore the benefits, even if I know it’s not a guarantee.”

[Jennifer Braggins]

Jenny listened silently and attentively as all three Midshipmen spoke, their stories all containing similar threads of travel and discovery; it was true that not every stargazer with wanderlust made it into Starfleet, certainly not as a commissioned officer, but the organisation definitely attracted a "type" when it came to its less aggressive departments. Except for a raised eyebrow as the new doctor, Bremner, introduced herself to Raiju thinking it was Kal-Geal, and a small twitch of a smile at the Bowman's comment about her parents' thoughts about Starfleet, her face had remained mostly impassive. Raiju had cocked his head in confusion when addressed by the wrong name, blinked his red eyes, and then wandered behind Jenny's desk to curl up on his bed and gnaw on a rawhide treat.

Definitely an odd bunch, and is Bremner holding Callan's hand? I guess I don't have to worry about them fraternising if they've already fraternised...

Straightening slightly in her chair, Jenny leaned forward and placed her arms on the table, clasping her hands together as she took a good look at each and every one of the new arrivals.

"Well the good news is that you'll definitely get your wish to travel, though I can't promise we'll discover anything new and exciting. Starfleet is still reeling from the Battle of Frontier Day three years ago, meaning that we're going to be hauling cargo and supporting colonies inside the Federation's border as much as we're going to be venturing into the unknown. The bad news is that the ship is currently broken; I'm told she'll be ready to go again in a day or two, but we're grounded until then."

Whether or not that news would really mean anything to three brand-new Midshipmen who hadn't actively served aboard a starship since their third year Cadet Cruise did not worry Jenny; they had either heard the stories about her, or they hadn't. They would either thrive under her command, or they wouldn't. Had this been the Philadelphia, she would have been required to be far more hands-on with the new arrivals given the small size of the crew; the Yeager, now she was getting her actual recommended crew complement, would be nearly double that of the little Nova-class Scout.

They're going to have less of a culture-shock here than the Philly, where they'd basically be senior staff even as Middies...

"I don't know what, if anything you have heard about me, members of the crew, or the ship herself; Starfleet gossip likes to skew details and the civilian media likes to blow things out of proportion because scandal sells. I will tell you, however, that I'm not one to ask permission before doing something that needs to be done, and I believe that morality always beats legality in a crisis. I've been called reckless and a renegade, and that's pretty much true, but I do get results."

Sliding the trio of PADDs back to their owners, Jenny leaned back again in her chair.

"If any of you have heard rumours about me or the ship and you have questions, now is the only opportunity you'll have to get answers. I'll respond as truthfully and fully as I can, within reason."

[Amethyst Bremner]

Listening to the captain, Amethyst was reminded of her grandparents philosophy of there is no law when it comes to saving lives. She noticed the pet lay down in a bed behind the captain, and blushed. She felt like a fool.

Gathering up her strength by reminding herself she is a Betazoid woman too, she addressed the captain, "I hope you remember that if your doctors are in a legally questionable situation, that I will save lives. Come what may."

==Tag Jennifer==

[Jadaris]

In the antechamber of the office, there was a very large green presence sitting on one of the chairs, waiting for the midshipmen to be done with their meeting. The new Chief Engineer, Commander Jadaris, was reading between two pads, which had technical data of the Pathyeager class alongside the standard Pathfinder class. However, Captain Braggins's request for a weapons retrofit was on his mind, and how they could handle a field refit of the weapons while in transit should the need arise.

Parts requisitions were also on the PADD he was reviewing, though they were parts not normally found unless you intended to do field repairs to a vessel. But those had been established when Jadaris was assigned the posting, and he intended to ask the Captain for her input on what she wanted the ship to have. Backup phaser power supplies, or pulse modulation emitters, he was prepared to give Jenny as much as he could for the ship's capabilities.

Being a Gorn however, carried its own drawbacks. Venom not withstanding, his bulk made the chairs aboard most vessels too small for him to sit in, but he was going to make sure those didn't get in the way. The fear of Gorn was still prevalent throughout the Federation, given the reputation of the Hegemony, but his pips made it clear that he had fought for the respect of his peers, and didn't let his species get in the way of his duty. However, Jadaris stood up and waited after sending a message to the Captain, stating he was outside and ready to meet with her at her convenience.

=tag whenever you're ready, or if you want me to join before the middies are done, that's fine too==

[Callan Campbell]

Like the other two midshipmen, Callan listened carefully as the captain spoke. When she left them with a chance to ask her questions, Callan thought quietly for a few moments, and Amethyst spoke up first. If he were honest, Callan hadn’t heard anything, good or bad, about the ship or its captain. But he was just a recently graduated midshipman. He’d been nowhere to hear anything yet, and probably wouldn’t have paid any of it any attention anyhow.

The one thing that did pique his interest though was the condition of the ship, pretty much the only thing that mattered to him at this point. Once Captain Braggins had replied to Amethyst, Callan asked his questions.

“I’m curious about the ship, Captain. What damage did she take? If she’s broken then I’d like to help get her fixed. That’s what I’m here for after all, with your permission, Sir.”

== Tag ==

[Jennifer Braggins]

Jenny quirked an eyebrow slightly as Bremner announced that she would save lives regardless of the legality of the situation, and wondered if the young Midshipman would risk a diplomatic incident in order to save those lives; it was a noble and honorable goal, but it was the kind of thing a Starfleet Captain could survive. A freshly-graduated Midshipman, less so. Still, Jenny preferred an officer who was upfront about their motivations and intentions rather than someone who concealed them right up until they left her and the rest of the crew up a certain creek and lacking any form of paddle.

“I’m curious about the ship, Captain. What damage did she take? If she’s broken then I’d like to help get her fixed. That’s what I’m here for after all, with your permission, Sir.”

Jenny's eyes flashed to Campbell, the fresh Engineer. He looked so young, almost as young as Hydish was when Jenny had promoted him to Chief Engineer probably too early; that the former Chief was now on extended leave concerned her, as she'd not been made aware of the young man's struggles until the request had been made upon their docking at Starbase 214. She was about to reply when the door chimed; the only other new arrival she was expecting was her new Chief Engineer, and adding a four hundred-pound Gorn to the mix would make things rather cramped. 

On the other hand, what better way for the newbies to meet their first Gorn?

"Enter."

As the door whooshed open, allowing Jadaris to enter, Jenny eyed the hulking lizard-person. He was not the first Gorn she had encountered, in fact he was one of three Gorn that she had known to wear a Starfleet Uniform; one was long gone, and the other had been summarily dismissed more recently. Jadaris was, thus, an oddity. That said his eleven-year career in Starfleet had seen him decorated four times, and he had risen to be the first Gorn First Officer of a Federation starship. The fact that it had been the Callisto and the political ramifications of that were still being felt on both sides of the Federation/Cardassian border was something she wouldn't hold against him, but judging by his career history since then, his career had plateaued and would likely remain that way until his Starfleet service ended.

"Commander Jadaris, thank you for arriving so soon. Midshipman Campbell was just asking me what state the Yeager was in following her maiden flight. To put it simply, the Yeager was launched before she was ready; Starfleet hadn't run acceptance trials, she'd not had a shakedown cruise, and more than half of the internal volume of the ship was temporary structures. When we responded to a distress call using the Slipstream Drive, again something that hadn't been tested, we knocked several key systems out of alignment including the slipstream tunneling projector. We had a brief scuffle with a Cardassian warship, which put a rather large hole in the back of the primary hull, damaging the torpedo autoloaders and our aft sensor array. Fortunately for us, Starbase 214 has an excellent spacedock facility, and it only took a week to repair the damage and put the finishing touches on; they say she'll be done today, tomorrow latest."

Jenny didn't mention the idiosyncrasies the Yeager had displayed during her first mission; even though the components brought across from the previous Yeager had been thoroughly refurbished and upgraded, they still had their little quirks, and they were part of the ship. They didn't affect the day-to-day running of the ship, or its performance under mission conditions, they just added some...zest...to the crew experience.

Like when the computer used a different voice when responding to commands. Or when the showers decided to spray soup instead of water. Or the fact that the glow from the warp reaction chamber was purple rather than blue...

They would learn...

[Mika Bowman]

As she spoke, Mika couldn’t help but notice the captain’s slight smirk when she made her comments about how her parents viewed the service. Perhaps she’d amused the older woman, but it wasn’t a sight that last long as for the remainder of the time Mika hadn’t been able to read Braggins’ facial expressions.
 
That’s to be expected. Captains are supposed to give a vibe of sureness to the people under their command. You’d expect someone to be masterful at masking their emotions, and keeping a tight lid on them.
 
“…Starfleet gossip likes to skew details and the civilian media likes to blow things out of proportion because scandal sells…”
 
Mika couldn’t really argue with the point the captain was making. It was also one of the reasons she tended to shy away from taking stock of news and politics. Overall, there tended to be very little, or even worse, no truth in what was being said. The young woman would rather have reliably, cold facts. Because of that, Mika didn’t have a shred of knowledge on the alleged scandalous Captain Braggins. Even with her being a person who always wanted answers, she didn’t see a reason to take the captain up on the offer to ask their one-time questions.
 
I should, but people have a tendency to twist the truth for their own agendas. Not that I really have any burning questions anyway. Even well-intentioned people are less reliable with their mouths, when compared to what my eyes personally see. Actions and visuals speak louder than words, any day.
 
Picking her PADD back up, which had been slid back to the three Midshipmen, Mika remained on the quiet side. She just kept analyzing the room before her. Bremner and Campell both seemed like their stereotypical departmental selves, the doctor saying they’ll heal even in questionable situations and the engineer ready to help fix the ship. Perhaps that was a description that could’ve also fit herself. Mika would just be happy about locking herself in the science labs after all. Although, it wasn’t like she had to go out of her way to mention it out loud.
 
A newcomer, the hulking Chief Engineer, was welcomed into the office. Gorn weren’t typically seen outside of the Hegemony, let alone serving in Starfleet. That being said, Mika didn’t have any predetermined opinions towards the Commander himself. The Gorn did have a reputation for being xenophobic, but Mika understood that the sentiment might not necessarily be shared amongst all members of the species. And realistically, if the engineer had been in Starfleet for as long as it appeared, then odds were he didn’t share that particular aspect.

[Callan Campbell]

Callan had just asked the captain about the ship when the door chime sounded. Captain Braggins had opened her mouth to answer his question but instead responded that the person at the door should enter.

As the door opened, Callan saw the form of a tall powerfully built figure. As they stepped into the room Callan was surprised to see that it was some huge reptilian, and wearing an engineering uniform, if that was what you could call it. The young Scot tried to keep his expression neutral even though his insides momentarily turned to jelly and the hairs had all stood up on the back of his neck and arms. There was something primal and in the genes of most mammals to fear large reptiles, like the predators of Earth’s past.

"Commander Jadaris, thank you for arriving so soon.” Captain Braggins said as she invited the Gorn to join the group. “Midshipman Campbell was just asking me what state the Yeager was in following her maiden flight. To put it simply, the Yeager was launched before she was ready; Starfleet hadn't run acceptance trials, she'd not had a shakedown cruise, and more than half of the internal volume of the ship was temporary structures. When we responded to a distress call using the Slipstream Drive, again something that hadn't been tested, we knocked several key systems out of alignment including the slipstream tunneling projector. We had a brief scuffle with a Cardassian warship, which put a rather large hole in the back of the primary hull, damaging the torpedo autoloaders and our aft sensor array. Fortunately for us, Starbase 214 has an excellent spacedock facility, and it only took a week to repair the damage and put the finishing touches on; they say she'll be done today, tomorrow latest."

The captain relating the list of damage the Yeager had sustained on her inaugural mission came as a welcome distraction for Callan. He knew more about the USS Yeager and her origin story than he did about her captain or crew. He had read the ship specs front and back on the journey from DS9 out to Starbase 214. Cross referencing with anything else in the database even told him that some people had given the ship an unofficial nickname as well. The ship was an unusual hybrid mix of two different ship classes, stitched together in the middle and with a Slipstream drive slapped on for good measure, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that there were complications, but it was surprising that Starfleet had launched such a ship without fully testing all the systems and signing them all off first.

He was sure there’d be many people that would feel that being assigned to such a ship to be the worst assignment there could possibly be, but Callan was too much an engineer to think of this as anything other than a challenge to be met head on. He felt quite excited at the prospect.

They call the ship Frankenstein’s Daughter, and here we have Nessie’s son, or something, Callan thought. And my senior officer. A Gorn. Well shape up Cal, this will make the assignment interesting. He took a moment to consider, and another moment to suppress the instinctive fight or flight response to the situation.

He wasn’t sure if he should speak or wait to be spoken to, and knew that he was just a midshipman and as green as could be, but he didn’t like uncomfortable silences and wanted to appear amenable despite having such an unusual senior officer and unorthodox starship assignment.

“That’s good news that the repairs will be finished so soon, Sir. I’m sure we can see to any finishing touches needed. I’m looking forward to getting a crack at it.” Callan said in an optimistic tone and glancing up at the Gorn Commander. Having never met a Gorn before he wasn’t sure how to read their expressions or body language. He hoped they would be able to at least talk to each other clearly to work together.

== Tags ==

[Jadaris]

Jadaris got his ping to enter, and as he did so, he gave Captain Braggins a salute.

"Commander Jadaris, thank you for arriving so soon. Midshipman Campbell was just asking me what state the Yeager was in following her maiden flight. To put it simply, the Yeager was launched before she was ready; Starfleet hadn't run acceptance trials, she'd not had a shakedown cruise, and more than half of the internal volume of the ship was temporary structures. When we responded to a distress call using the Slipstream Drive, again something that hadn't been tested, we knocked several key systems out of alignment including the slipstream tunneling projector. We had a brief scuffle with a Cardassian warship, which put a rather large hole in the back of the primary hull, damaging the torpedo autoloaders and our aft sensor array. Fortunately for us, Starbase 214 has an excellent spacedock facility, and it only took a week to repair the damage and put the finishing touches on; they say she'll be done today, tomorrow latest."

What she hadn't mentioned, was how the Cardassian ship was able to drill through multiple layers of ablative armor, bypassing their shields, and that's what concerned Jadaris. He had read the damage reports, and the technology the Cardassians had made a mockery of the defensive technologies that all starships relied upon. From what he remembered of the Callisto, and her destruction, reports of a cutting beam were unconfirmed, but if the Cardassians had access to offensive tech similar to the Borg, then newer countermeasures were required. He doubted that Star Fleet Engineering would approve of the Yeager getting anything other than basic repairs, so it would fall to Engineering and Science aboard the ship to make any adjustments that would be required to allow the ship to survive another engagement.

"Thank you Captain. I'm honored to be under your command aboard the Yeager."

Jadaris was reminded that despite being a commander, that would be as far as he would likely go. The Callisto's failure weighed heavily on him, being a former first officer of that ship. His subsequent service aboard the Charon, and then reassignment to Star Fleet Engineering meant that he would likely never go on to be a Captain in Star Fleet, but that didn't cause him much worry. He had a doctorate from the Vulcan Science Academy, dual training in science and engineering, command experience as a first officer; those things were what made his time in Star Fleet worthwhile, as he could teach others how to strive for the same ideals that most in Star Fleet shared; to go beyond where nobody had gone before.

"I've sent on a list of spare components we'll need in case we have a slipstream malfunction again, that way we can repair, or at least patch the drive so we don't get stuck in a hard place next time it fails." Experience had taught Jadaris that the slipstream drive did not like to stay working when it was activated, and the gravity wave incidents in the Delta Quadrant had shown that the entire system was finicky when not under 'ideal conditions'. "That being said, I look forward to working with my department to keep the ship as capable as the universe lets us."

Jadaris didn't need to say much, as his record spoke for itself. And for the Captain, with a higher security classification, she might have seen the work Jadaris did on synthetic benamite. More obscurely however, was his jury-rigging work. Star Fleet Engineering didn't like his field retrofits of torpedoes and other weapons, and reversed such modifications whenever the Intrepid returned to base, but his proton bombardment warhead and the plasma torpedo launcher stood out among those field weapons he constructed as Chief Engineer to handle situations that conventional weaponry didn't work against.

“That’s good news that the repairs will be finished so soon, Sir. I’m sure we can see to any finishing touches needed. I’m looking forward to getting a crack at it.”

Jadaris looked down at his new midshipman and added,

"I like your spirit Midshipman. I'm sure there will be places we can reinforce the what the spacedock has repaired, but its important to remember that what matters out there, is that spirit. It doesn't matter how big the starship you serve on is, what matters is the energy of its crew in keeping that ship going."

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