Ceremony in White

[Jennifer Braggins]

==This subplot takes place one week after the Yeager arrived at Starbase 214, later in the same day of the New Arrivals thread. Attendance is not mandatory, but encouraged.==

When the Yeager had been launched from the Beta Antares Shipyards, it had been without pomp, circumstance, or fanfare. It had, in fact, been largely swept under the rug; the ship was an embarrassment to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, the Captain and several members of her senior staff on Starfleet Command's "shit list". As such she'd been assigned a random registry number, and quietly added to the list of active starships in the hope that by keeping the ship and crew to rear-area duties, the problem would inevitably go away. 

That had been seven weeks ago.

The recent adventures of the Yeager and her crew had opened some eyes and ruffled a few feathers at Starfleet Command. Though the crew were publicly being praised for their efforts in rescuing the passengers of the Lord Franklin, privately the crew were under even closer scrutiny from those who would see them fail. Though they had avoided official censure for illegally crossing a sovereign border, effectively kidnapping United Earth citizens, and firing on a Cardassian warship, Starfleet Command couldn't afford to let the crew continue to "play pirate". So they did the only thing the brass knew how to do effectively.

They held an official commissioning ceremony for the USS Yeager, publicly inducting her and her crew into the hearts and minds of the Federation and her neighbours.

Jenny had received word of the ceremony only a day before it had been due to happen, and as Captain, it had been her responsibility to arrange it. Thanks to some careful planning, expert scrounging from her logistics staff, and a fair amount of luck, the event had quickly begun to take shape. In an observation lounge overlooking the Yeager's repair bay, Jenny and her team had set up a small podium, enough seating for the entire Yeager crew plus whatever VIP guests had invited themselves, and a buffet and bar. The ceremony would also, at Jenny's insistence, require Dress Whites; those who knew her or her service record would understand the power play. 

Some might even find it entertaining.

A string quartet had been rustled up from among Starbase 214's crew to provide background music and contribute to the festive ambiance. The large windows overlooking the repair bay were currently tinted to full opacity, hiding the ship from view. As the last of the support staff finished their last-minute preparations and adjustments and slipped out of the room, the house lights dimmed to three-quarters illumination to better facilitate a ceremonial atmosphere, and the band began to play a selection of classical music from composers spanning the Federation.

All that was needed now, was for the guests to arrive and the ceremony to begin.

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science ==

The sound of Prokofiev's fourth movement of his Opus 60 could be heard gently playing Papaver walked toward the dock observation lounge. Like the rest of the crew she assumed, she'd received a formal invite to the now official commissioning ceremony for the ship. Almost two months after its actual launch.

The invite had stated formal dress attire. And so out came the whites. Stiff collar, slightly too small in the waist, and shoes that were so slippy it was like walking on ice. And the medal bars. She had only a few, but a couple she didn't feel too comfortable holding given the losses of others who deserved them more.

Still, as she entered a waiter handed her a glass of white wine before gesturing her to step deeper into the room and mingle with the others who were already present.

She wished Black would have been here too, but her friend had obviously very personal reasons to head back to Earth in a hurry, and despite Papaver offering to accompany her, she had convinced the younger woman to remain and act as her proxy in the meantime until her return in a few weeks time. Hopefully.

The lounge itself felt a little closed in with the windows that would have looked out across the dry docks and out in to open space obscured. So she took a sip of her wine and headed toward the gaggle of others dressed in white.


== Tag anyone else who's sponsored by Tide. ==

[Amethyst Bremner]

Amethyst was standing in her temporary quarters on the starbase, wrapped in a towel just out of the shower, rereading the invitation to the commissioning party for the Yeager. Her dress whites were on her bed ready for her to put on.

She talked to her father back on Betazed before her shower, to ask what to expect at this type of party. He had reassured his daughter that it is fine, and to just be herself. That's what she was afraid of, being herself got her teased on both Betazed and on Earth. She had let out a heavy sigh, and continued to get ready. Spritzing her body with a tulip perfume, she dressed in the grayish white uniform. She looked in the mirror and traced the teal trim, reminding herself that she is a doctor in Starfleet. That commands some respect, at least, she reminded herself. Now what to do with her hair. She was trying and deciding on different hairstyles. She decided to leave her hair down flowing to her mid back. Her hair framed her freckled face with red waves that made her green eyes dance. She was ready, finally happy with her appearance. 

She roamed the halls looking for the observation deckroom where the party was to be held. She would finally be meeting the entire crew of the Yeager, hopefully. She just hoped she would fit in, she noticed that most of the crew were half and half of species, so she figured she should be among friends. Where is this damn room, she wondered to herself. This is why she needed a date to this party, she constantly gets lost. Then she saw a door with festive decorations, she found it.

Walking into the party, she looked around, and there were not a lot of people there. She was early as always. Not someone who drinks alcohol, she walked up to the replicator and ordered an old fashioned cherry cola. A few seconds later, the beverage appeared and she took her drink. Turning back to the almost empty room, she awkwardly slow walked, looking around at the walls, and other decorations. She spotted the captain, but didn't approach, remembering how she made a fool of herself rambling earlier. She blushed at just the memory. Where is that Scots man when I need him, she asked herself then downed her coke. She ordered another one and found a wall to prop up.

==Tag whoever is now it==

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science ==

Papaver chatted with a couple of the other early birds in the room. A little gossip was swapped along with a few jokes. But then the doors opened and a tall redhead entered. In white as the others, but with the teal of medical across her shoulders.

She continued talking, but noticed that the newcomer instead of taking a glass of the complementary wine ordered from the replicator and headed to stand alone by the wall.

New medical officer? Beinn needs to stop eating his staff. She thought with a small smile.

A few moments more, and she decided to take a walk over to see if the newcomer was okay. New posting. New ship. New crew. She remembered that feeling.

“Back in a mo.” She said to Flint Chertstone who was busy regaling those nearby of one of his epic stories. He didn't notice.

“Hi,” She said as she approached the younger woman. “You look lost and nervous. Welcome to team Yeager. Well, we are this week.” She gestured to where the windows were covered. “They're probably out there right now, repainting the name on the ship again.”

She held out a hand. “Papaver. Science officer and local tour guide.” Then she pointed; “Bar. Captain. Toilets.” She gestured to each one after the other. “That the important stuff over with. Now, who are you, and what are ya drinking?”


== Tag Amethyst ==

[Mika Bowman]

Attendance wasn’t mandatory. For anyone that could read between the lines, that typically meant everyone was highly suggested to attend. As a newbie, Mika figured there wasn’t any way she could forego attending the commissioning ceremony of the Yeager. Which, by itself, seemed to be a tad odd for the young woman.
 
I’m not very bureaucratic-savvy, but wouldn’t you have a ceremony like this before the ship had launched for the first time? It could be seen as built like Frankenstein’s monster, so you’d think it would get some kind of attention before now. Unless there’s something more at work here? If only they hadn’t opted for dress uniforms being the fashion of choice for this.
 
As she entered observation lounge, Mika couldn’t help but tug on her collar. Maybe it was simply because she didn’t like the more ‘official’ uniform, but it did feel a bit snug at the moment, and she was quite sure she hadn’t put on any extra pounds. Getting herself a glass of white wine from the bar, Mika grabbed a spot in the corner so she could get ample viewing area of the attendees. She wanted to know whatever secrets of the Yeager there were, and she wanted to gather more data before she leapt in. As a scientist, she didn’t exactly feel comfortable flying blind.
 
So far, I only really see Bremner and a fellow science officer. If there is something ‘up’ with this ship, I’m not going to see it, at least I wouldn’t think I would, between interactions with those two. Most people aren’t going to just spill their guts with others they’ve just met. Observation for now, and just maybe thing might fall into place.

[Peter Jensen]

Peter entered the place, also in his finest uniform. He hadn't exactly been thrilled to go, and attendance was not strictly mandatory, but he knew it would be expected of senior staff and especially of command staff. It would look strange if the XO was not present for something like this without an excuse more substantial than "My social battery is drained".
So there he was, smiling and nodding greetings as he passed.
When he thought about it, he was certain that even if it hadn't been de facto expected of him, he would have regretted not attending, if for no other reason than the fact that a ship only had one commissioning ceremony. And it was a pretty big deal.

He made his way through the crowd, and spotted the newcomers. He wasn't going to just waltz right over and say "Hi, how are you doing?". He, after all, had a professional decorum to maintain. In this case that suited him well. It wasn't that he disliked them, of course, he didn't know them. But he had never been the one to initiate small talk, and he wasn't going to start now. That's not to say that he wouldn't rebuff others' efforts to start it, however.

He went up to the bar - because bars were usually the place where others would start small talk if they were going to - and ordered a Carlsberg.

A little taste of home....even if it isn't the real thing

==== Taggity tag tag! I don't bite....very hard ==

[Amethyst Bremner]

Amethyst was looking around the room from her place on the wall, when she saw what looks like a science Lt(jg) approaching her.  She straightened up her relaxed stature at the higher ranking officer approaching. She felt a welcoming type energy coming from her. The officer introduced herself and extended a hand. Amethyst returned the gesture and shook her hand.

With a nervous giggle at what she thought was a joke, she answered, "Hello, I am Dr. Amethyst Bremner. New from the Academy. I have met the captain, I don't drink synthohol, and thanks for the toilet location. One should have a place to hide if need be. I am drinking a drink my grandfather loved called cherry cola. I like the bubbles."

While the two women made their introductions, Amethyst noticed two other officers enter. Noticing Cmdr Jensen she asked her new friend, "How is the Commander? I have a feeling I will be dealing with him alot."

==Tag Papaver==

[Callan Campbell]

There was, in every social occasion, an optimal time to arrive between awkwardly early and fashionably late, so that there would be enough people already there that you didn't feel exposed but also didn’t look like you were having much more fun elsewhere and only attended as an afterthought. That was the point of the evening that Callan hoped he’d found when he entered the room for the Yeager commissioning ceremony.

I don’t understand why a commissioning ceremony is taking place after the ship’s first mission, he pondered as he looked around. Surely these things happen before even a shake-down cruise? I wonder what the reason is. Maybe I can find out tonight?
he mused.

He felt slightly uncomfortable in such social events, as uncomfortable as he felt in his dress uniform too. But that at least would be something he had in common with almost everyone in the room. As an engineer he believed that the dress uniform could be designed to be better fitting if someone wanted to do so badly enough. No, the things must surely be purposely designed the way they were to make the wearer remember that they weren’t at this event to relax. For who knows how many times now, he fiddled with the restrictive collar as he stepped into the small group of people. Smiling at the nearest to him, he scanned his gaze around the room to find the bar, just like everybody else would when they arrived. At least it wouldn’t take him long to find it, every Scotsman was born with a natural gift for finding the alcohol in the room.

Spotting it through the small but growing number of people he made his way over and as he approached, gave the bar staff a broad smile and ordered a whisky. He expected it to be synthahol at this event, which like the dress uniform had to be endured rather than enjoyed. Thanking the staff as he took the glass he turned to the nearest person standing next to him.

The guy standing next to him was human looking, a little taller than Callan, an athletic build, and short blond hair. The rank pips on the collar of his dress whites showed that he was a commander, the uniform itself trimmed with ‘command red’ so Callan figured he may likely be the First Officer of the Yeager.

Not the usual way to meet your new senior officer, Callan thought ruefully, but steeled himself and hoped he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

“Commander?” he said loud enough to get his FO’s attention, then smiled and raised his glass.

"Slàinte Mhath" (pronounced "Slanj-a-va") he said as both a greeting and a toast to the commander’s health.

== Tag Jensen ==

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science ==

"Hello, I am Dr. Amethyst Bremner. New from the Academy. I have met the captain, I don't drink synthohol, and thanks for the toilet location. One should have a place to hide if need be. I am drinking a drink my grandfather loved called cherry cola. I like the bubbles."

Taking another sip from her glass, Papaver said with a grin; “I don't think I can remember all of that. I'll just call you Amethyst.”

Just audible above the music, the sound of the doors opening and closing. Amethyst almost imperceptively seemed to look past Papaver for a moment, toward the bar area. Probably toward whoever had just walked in.

Several others had arrived.

"How is the Commander?” Asked Amethyst. “I have a feeling I will be dealing with him a lot."

“The Commander?” Papaver said turning to look across the room, “He's okay, I guess. He's very by the book. And I'm pretty sure he wrote some of the book, but he's a good guy.”

While they were talking, she noted an engineer she didn't recognise had sat himself next to the First Officer. “Looks like he's starting to fill his dance card for the evening already.” She said smiling as she scanned the rest of the room noting another new face on another corner. This one with a blue stripe.

Commander Qi hadn't said we were getting anyone new in the department.

Papaver raised her glass to the new person across the room as a friendly gesture to come over.


== Tag all around ==

[Artemis d'Tor'an]

It wasn’t that Artemis didn’t dislike recognition, she just didn’t see the purpose of getting all dressed up for it. Starfleet did things differently than how she had been raised, and in her mostly-Klingon household, things that were honorable were acknowledged and praised as soon as possible. There was no need to let it all pile up, and then dress up, and have a demure little party.

Starfleet thought differently. They had decided to have a belated commissioning ceremony for the USS Yeager, after shoving them out of the nest more than a few weeks ago. This atmosphere was decidedly different than when Art had been instructed to report for duty on a near-derelict Starbase, going down a dimly-lit hallway to Jen Braggins’ storage-closet-turned-office, before rudely being told last-minute that they had a ship, and they were to leave spacedock ASAP.

Again, things had happened last minute, which did not leave Art surprised. She tugged on her white uniform, looked at herself in the full-length mirror, and sighed as she thought about what she should do with her hair. Deciding to leave it down, she deftly tucked an elastic under the cuff of one of her sleeves, should a situation arise and she needed her hair to not be in her face. Another look in the mirror, and Art looked ready to go.

Walking into the large room, Artemis spotted Peter Jensen immediately, and made a conscious decision to not approach him right away. The entire ship didn’t need to know their business. She wasn’t going to hide it, of course, but there was no reason to flaunt it around the room like a 15-year-old Human girl.

There were some new faces, and Art wondered if there were any to add to her department. She had received some information from HQ, but hadn’t read anything yet, as nothing was addressed directly to her, just the Security Department in general. She wandered around, saying quick hellos to various people, and tried not to somehow get herself roped into a conversation with her Captain, whom she still did not like.



==Oh my flipping god Jensen, your tag is killing me. XD ==

[Arwen Qi]

Qi hated his dress uniform. The collar was just a bit too tight, the shoulders narrow enough to be constricting. They were only truly comfortable when standing at attention, which was the only approved activity at these types of parties anyway. Still, he had to set a good example as a department head, and besides he wanted the opportunity to get to know his new crew aboard the Yeager.

The observation lounge had been transformed into something impressively elegant. The room felt spacious in a way that few areas ever did on a starbase. The hum of conversation added texture to the room, though they were all kept at a respectable volume for the time being.

As he made his initial rounds (picking up a glass of dark red Andorian wine from the bar), Qi spotted Papaver and Mika Bowman, a new addition to his team. He slid over to Papaver, who already seemed to have noticed the midshipman.

“Good to see you, Papaver. I see you’ve spotted the new addition to our team. How have you been spending the downtime?” His tone was pleasant, but much more reserved than he would use in his lab. He waited for Bowman to join the two of them so that he could properly introduce himself.

== Tag Papaver ==

[Jadaris]

Jadaris made his way to the commissioning ceremony, though his dress whites were very big and at least for his feet, very uncomfortable. The Gorn would have preferred even just his field boots to the tight shoes that the dress uniform required, but such were the sacrifices they were all required to make for the Fleet.

On entering, he noticed his new Midshipman talking to Commander Jensen, and decided a quick trip to the bar before talking to them would be in order.

"Vulcan tea, traditionally brewed with redspice please."

After a very mystified bartender gave the Gorn his teacup, appropriately sized for his hands, turned to Campbell and Jensen. His gaze fell upon Lieutenant Papaver in the process, and gave her a nod, hoping she'd remember him from the Magellan, and remembering the time he had almost made her part of the chair he was going to sit on.

"Midshipman Campbell, Commander Jensen. Strange they give us a commissioning ceremony, with all the fuss over refitting the ship in the yard queues."

=tag Jensen and Campbell. Jensen's bite at least isn't contagious==

[Kal-Geal Beinn]

==NRC Medical Lieutenant Kal-Geal Beinn==

Kal-Geal, despite his bare commissioning status, had something close to a dress uniform due to standard templates, but the dress shoes looked just as weird on him as it did the Gorn in the room. Digitigrade legs also complicated matters, but the worst part was all that fur rubbing against the longer sleeves.

Despite stepping down from being the CMO, Kal-Geal still attended to get a sense for the staff he might still be working with, that is if the Federation still let him be aboard one of their vessels. His field commission was still very tenuous, at least in his mind, so he tried to stay out of the way as best he could. The circle of science that also had the medical midshipman caused him to gravitate towards them. He didn't grab a drink just yet, as he didn't need to be getting the drink on his uniform. However, the big wolf stood near the group, letting the newcomers introduce themselves. Once things were established, then he might just step in to have a decent conversation.

==Beinn will interact, just not as much as Jadaris is the PRC==

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science ==

A movement out of the corner of her eye brought Papaver's attention briefly away from the Midshipman in the corner and back toward the main entrance in time to see Commander Qi enter the room.

“Good to see you, Papaver.” He said once he acquired a glass of red wine and walked over to where Papaver and Bremner were talking.

“I see you’ve spotted the new addition to our team.” He said also gesturing toward the young woman across the room who was still to come over. “How have you been spending the downtime?”

“Oh you know, A little of this and a little of that.” She replied. She doubted that he wanted to know what she'd actually been up to. There was the smallest of pauses before she turned her attention to Amethyst.

“But anyway, introductions. Commander Qi, this is Doctor Bremner. Doctor Bremner, Commander Qi...” She would have said more, but over Qi's shoulder she saw something that made her stop in her tracks and turn even more pale that she naturally was.

Involuntarily, she let out what could have been a startled 'eep' sound as she recognised the seven foot tall Gorn that had just headed to the bar. The sounds of the building party faded away and were replaced with the sounds of a bridge of a ship taking fire.

Like many of those who survived the Magellan's run in with the Borg, she had suffered trauma from the loss of friends and colleagues, as well as injuries. The sudden unexpected sight of the massive reptilian officer who had also been there that day must have triggered her somehow. Because the normally unflappable woman took an involuntary step back and looked momentarily terrified. Even more so when the Gorn turned and nodded in her direction.

In her head she saw the looming darkness and felt the pressure...


== Tag those brave medics who want to deal with a Gorn induced PTSD ==

[Kal-Geal Beinn]

Kal-Geal's ears twitched as he heard the 'eep' from the Lieutenant and noticed her change in demeanor and pallor when the Gorn entered the room. He was glad he had kept his medical tricorder with him, and took it out for this instance. Kal-Geal then stepped closer to Papaver and said,

"Lieutenant. Just take it easy. Have a seat, and stay calm. You have two doctors here."

He looked at Bremner and said,

"You might have an easier time of calming our Lieutenant here Midshipman. I'll keep an eye on physiology, if you'd like to approach from the psychology side?"

==tag Papaver and Bremner==

[Mika Bowman]

From her corner, Mika continued to observe the various members of the Yeager crew enter the Observation Lounge. Honestly, she didn’t have any predetermined notions for who, and what, she’d be serving with. Even after their initial meeting with Captain Braggins, Mika wouldn’t be surprised that unknown variables would be present. Which wasn’t something she was fond of, because she liked to know things. Continuing to sip her wine, she took notice of someone she believed to be the First Officer.
 
Can’t really tell whether or not he’d actually like to be here. Regardless, I’d say he’s sporting a pretty decent poker face at the very least. From how he’s walking it also looks like he’d rather not approach anyone directly, at least socially. Whether it’s a power play on his part, or whether that’s always been his way is out in the air for me.
 
Her fellow Midshipman, the engineer that Mika didn’t really get the name of, had arrived as well, and approached the bar himself. While he was certainly getting his own drink, the blond could also see how he’d decided to interact with Jensen. Some people were always direct in their actions, but Mika wasn’t sure she could ever be like that. At least not without having all the facts presented before her. Perhaps she was simply afraid of making a mistake, and while she knew she’d eventually learn from them she rather avoid them, all the same.
 
Another joiner was one donned in a security officer’s uniform. A quick visual inspection indicated the other woman was of Klingon ancestry, but not exactly. The ridges weren’t as pronounced, but given history anything was possible. They had taken notice of the First Officer, but seemed to be going out of their way to avoid him altogether. Mika seemed a bit amused at what she was witnessing.
 
I would be shocked if the two of them weren’t an item. And that’s ignoring the fact that Starfleet has some not so lenient feelings when it comes to personal relationships in the service, considering that the actual written version of the protocols is currently three centimeters thick. I’m just the newcomer, but sometimes there’s just a way people look that is sometimes universal.
 
One of the bigger shocks was that of a Gorn entering, wearing a Starfleet uniform no less. Despite his hulking appearance, Mika wasn’t truly scared of the man. The Gorn were technically somewhat of an enigma, especially since for the most part they typically kept to themselves in the galactic scheme of things. Considering the pips she noticed on his collar, he was probably one of the exceptions to the ‘rule’.
 
The latest newcomer was even more of an unknown for Mika. She couldn’t place the species of the canine-like creature, however she had to remind herself of how vast the Federation actually was. That was also considering the fact whether his people were indeed apart of the Federation, or not. However, he also seemed to have approached the group of people who had also seemingly offered Mika a non-verbally invitation.
 
I haven’t observed enough to give myself an even playing field, but it also would be rude to turn down the offer. It’s not normally my preferred route, but what’s that ancient adage? ‘You only live once’. Here goes nothing.
 
Stepping out from the corner that had been her home for the last several minutes, Mika gracefully walked towards the assembled scientist and doctors. As she was making her way over, they’d been joined by yet another individual. The young woman wasn’t really investigating as much anymore, but could tell from a glance the newcomer was a Trill. Either that, or he’d invested highly in many small tattoos. As she finally approached, she noticed that the science woman didn’t seem to be taking things emotionally well.
 
“Did I come at a bad time?”
 
== Tags ==

[Peter Jensen]

Peter heard someone call out to him, turned, and noticed Campbell raising his glass. He raised his own and returned the toast:

"Skål!", he smiled. He didn't even know the etymology of the word. There was a running joke that it dated all the way back to the old norse, the vikings specifically, who used to drink from the skulls of their enemies, but whether or not that was actually true was something he had never taken the time to research...nor did he particularly care enough about it to do make the effort.

Thought it would be a great way to win points with Art's family..... he thought to himself for a moment before he focused again

"Midshipman Campbell, right?", he asked, reaching out his hand for the younger man to shake.

"It's a pleasure. Welcome to the Yeager", he said with sincerity. It was good to get new blood in. He was still slightly worried about what so much new blood at the same time would do to the crew's dynamics, but...well, morale and cohesion was one of his jobs, after all, and he wouldn't want to put himself out of a job.

It wasn't long before Jadaris arrived, and Peter had to steel himself once more. He had of course been aware that Jadaris was a Gorn. He knew that Gorn were larger than Humans. He also knew that they were privileged to have someone of his caliber. All of this, he knew very well. And he had no time at all for prejudices - at least outside of the Ferengi. He had, earlier in his career, been about to throw hands when someone had disrespected a Gorn crewmate. But there was something deep inside in the back of his mind that told him that something that large and bulky had to be inherently hostile and dangerous, and he had to force that impulse down just as badly as he had had to in another situation recently...though of course in quite a different context.

"Welcome Cdr. Jadaris!", he said and meant it. "We are privileged to have someone of your caliber join us. Your merits and reputation precedes you", he pointed out with a smile.

== My bite might not be contagious, but my jokes are on fire! ==

[Amethyst Bremner]

Amethyst greeted all of the new arrivals to their part of the room. Finally, she thought, the Dr. Beinn. She was relieved to put a name to a snout. She wanted to ask him a ton of questions about sickbay, but this was not the time nor place.

Dr. Beinn instructed her to look after Papaver's phycological state. "I will do my best, Dr. Beinn, however, psychology is not really my forte. I minored in Ethnobotany and Epidemiology. Plus there seems to be generalized anxiety in the room."

She turned to Papaver, and whispered, "Do you know the Gorn officer? I feel there is a familiarity there." 

Where is my brother when I need him, she wondered to herself. She took another sip of her soda, waiting for a response to her question. 


==Tag Papaver==

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science ==


The hours after the battle had been tense. Papaver had been taken to sickbay. Burns and crush injuries were expected, but her other traumas were new. Even to Doctor Stonehouse the then CMO of Magellan.

Close contact with the Gorn officer in the heat of the conflict had resulted in bruising and a dislocated shoulder on top of those later sustained when the bridge had taken a direct hit. But there were also other concerns. Bodily fluids had made contact with the unfortunate Papaver. And despite modern medicine having improved in leaps and bounds, accidental insemination was still a risk.

Having to be put in an induced coma while the appropriate tests were performed, just in case. Which thankfully were clean. When she was woken back up, the medical teams had also had to shave her head as no matter what they tried, they couldn't get rid of the smell.

It was after this that she was went for mandatory counselling which had lasted months as unfortunately during the coma her brain hadn't reached as fully delta state and she'd replayed the image of the descending Gorn cloaca belonging to Jadris over and over to the point where the traumatising memory occasionally caused her to wake up screaming.

And now there he was...

"Lieutenant. Just take it easy. Have a seat, and stay calm. You have two doctors here." Said a familiar voice nearby.

Turning her head but keeping her eyes on the Gorm, she eventually turned them too, to look at Beinn who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Shakily, she side stepped to a nearby chair and kept her gaze now fixed on Bremner when she spoke.  "Do you know the Gorn officer? I feel there is a familiarity there."

“Yes.” She said, sounding unsure. “We served together on the, the Magellan.” She took a moment. “I'll be, okay. I just need to...” She closed her eyes and began taking some deep breathes to try to calm herself down. “It's not his fault. I just need to, just give me a moment.”

“Did I come at a bad time?” Said yet another new voice.

“Sorry about this.” Said Papaver as she began to calm herself. “I guess I was just caught off guard.”

== Tag all ==

[Mika Bowman]

The other officer seemed to apologize for their apparent freak out, and the two medicals seemed to be trying to analyze. On principle, Mika could understand why they’d be trying to. Had she been in their boots, she’d be trying to do the exact same thing simply because she’d want answers. There just happened to be the small fact that individuals didn’t like being analyzed, under most circumstances, let alone in public.
 
“Do you two really think psychoanalyzing her, in public, is the proper of action?”
 
It wasn’t an accusatory question, but it did show that Mika was unsure of whether this was supposed to be how things should be handled. In a controlled environment, she had no qualms about getting the knowledge she needed. However, she knew people tended to differentiate that opinion, especially when they were being placed on the pedestal for observation.
 
Granted, Mika didn’t know anyone on the Yeager. So, for all she knew, they could easily be a ship full of crazed masochists. Or, even worse, that could be what was required to be a medical professional. Mika had only obtained the barest of minimum in emergency medicine, and that was only because it marginally coincided with some scientific fields.

== Tags ==

[Amethyst Bremner]

Amethyst heard the new science midshipman approach, yet didn't put much stock in what she was saying. Her concern was the physical reaction Papaver had to seeing the Gorn officer.

"Do you two really think psychoanalyzing her, in public, is the proper of action."


Hearing this, Amethyst rolled her eyes, while taking Papaver's pulse. She thought, since when is observation psychoanalyzing? One would think a science officer would know the difference. The remark reminded Amythyst of all the bullies of both Betazed and Earth. They have preconceived notions of what she really does. The air of I know more, and I know better than you. Amethyst sighed, and let it go, she was good at letting it go. She has had a lifetime of practice. 

"No need for sorries," Amethyst stated to her patient, "but when you get a chance come see me. I want to do a work up on you."

Amethyst turned to Dr.Beinn, "Doctor, once we are on board, can you give me the grand tour of sickbay? I want to start right away."

==Tag the group==

[Artemis d'Tor'an]

A Gorn walked into the party, which made Art not just do a double-take, but a discrete third take, as well. She did a quick think into just how many Gorn were in Starfleet, and wondered if it was just this one. Once upon a time, there had only been one Klingon in Starfleet… but she wasn’t about to go over there and make the man welcome. There was no need for instant comradery, and instead the COS just watched with a puzzled expression as he ordered tea.

I probably should order a drink. Artie thought to herself. If only to look less like I’m so damn awkward. Just standing here. In the middle of the room. By myself. Like a petaQ.

A look around the bar made the crew of the Yeager look like the signing of the Federation Papers, for Kahless’ sake. A Gorn, a Child of San Tarah, and a half-Klingon waiting at the bar… it sounded like the opening of a bad joke. Art smirked, which quickly faded as she saw Papaver have a bad reaction upon seeing the new Gorn officer. Art walked away, swiftly but not with purpose, as this wasn’t her problem, nor did she need it to be. Her drink could wait.

A woman holding a tray of what looked like gagh with Earth cheese on it walked past, and Art watched her curiously. “Excuse me,” She finally said, stopping the woman from being completely out of her range, “But…” At a loss for words, she simply motioned to the dish. “Why?”

[Kal-Geal Beinn]

"I will do my best, Dr. Beinn, however, psychology is not really my forte. I minored in Ethnobotany and Epidemiology. Plus there seems to be generalized anxiety in the room."

Beinn gave her a canine grin and replied,

"As a ship's doctor on a ship this size, you will wear many.....hats I think is the human term, including that of psychologist."

He looked back at Papaver who was sitting down.

“We served together on the, the Magellan.”

Kal-Geal nodded, and put his tricorder back onto its holster. Old mental wounds that took time to heal. The lieutenant was present at the battle for the Megasphere as well, though he was aboard the Artemis when all heck broke loose, but he remembered what happened to the other ships in the fleet.

“Do you two really think psychoanalyzing her, in public, is the proper of action?”

Kal-Geal's ears twitched at the midshipman's statement, and he nearly replied but decided the question had been rhetorical,

"Lieutenant Papaver, I suggest you find a distraction. Talk with your fellow scientists, have a drink, and let the memories of the past lie where they are. If you need to step out of the room at any time, please do so."

"Doctor, once we are on board, can you give me the grand tour of sickbay? I want to start right away."

Beinn nodded, "Certainly. Though it all depends on if I'm still aboard, as I have yet to hear if they're keeping me or sending me away."

=minor tag==

[Jadaris]

"Welcome Cdr. Jadaris! We are privileged to have someone of your caliber join us. Your merits and reputation precedes you."

Jadaris gave Peter a Vulcan bow in lieu of a handshake, and replied, "I am honored to be part of a ship with you and Captain Braggins, though the privilege is mine to be part of the crew of the Yeager, regardless of what others think."

Looking down at Peter, Jadaris then added,

"From a former First Officer to a current one, that your crew are enjoying themselves, speaks volumes to your skill as a leader. I thank you for all the effort you've put into your crew Commander Jensen."

Jadaris was always reminded of his old status as a first officer by the commander's pips that he wore, but he took it as a constant reminder that he always needed to learn more, and this ship offered the opportunity to hunt the ultimate prey; knowledge. Being a VSA graduate, his hunter's instincts were tempered by Vulcan logic and control, and with the loss of Ki'sa Orano aboard the Intrepid, he had closed his mind off to bonds created by Betazoids. He still had mental wounds caused by Orano's death that he dealt with, but the Vulcan method of closing off the mind through mental discipline was what worked the best for him.

=tag==

[Ian Elliot]

As was per the usual, Ian was late. He wasn’t sure why he had been invited to this party, heck, he wasn’t sure why he was still assigned to this ship, but it was “voluntarily mandatory” as it had been explained to him, and so he had replicated himself a new pair of dress whites. He didn’t know why they were so uncomfortable, and was super tempted to mess with the replicator to make sure it was aligned properly, but the engineers on this base were not friendly towards his suggestions.

Besides, he was late.

Squirming in his just-too-tight uniform, and his definitely-too-tight new boots (they had to be shiny!), Ian strolled into the party. The first thing he saw, and it was hard to miss him, was the Gorn. To say he was curious was an understatement, and Ian quickly walked up to the replicator in order to hack its simple food controls and see who this new person was.

I don’t know many of the people on this ship, he thought as he pressed combination after combination of buttons, But I know I don’t know you!

There was a sudden halt as the computer told Ian who this Gorn was. Ian stared at the screen, jaw agape. Someone behind him gave a polite cough, and told him they were waiting to order a slice of apple pie, but the Ensign just waved her off. Now, he was staring at the Gorn himself.

Jadaris…! He thought, trying out the name in his head. Commander Jadaris…! His tone was full of wonderment, and he barely registered exiting out of the crew manifest before he walked over to the man, literally larger than life, the Ensign’s eyes wide and aglow.

“Commander Jadaris?” Ian asked, though there was no mistake. He paused only a moment, and then launched into a monologue, his words running together in what could be mistaken for the medical condition tachylalia, though could also be called simply ‘babbling’ or ‘jabbering on’.

“Hi I’m Ian Elliot, Ensign Ian Elliot, came over from HQ, I was working us the SS Yeager for a time, my own little project ship you could call her, Admirals loved me sir, I was bounced all over the place in Sol Sector to fix their problems, I love a good problem sir, specialized in starship engineering sir, I could put a ship back together with my eyes closed, such an honor to be working with you sir, I can’t wait to hear everything you have to say!”

Finally, Ian took a breath, and someone else was able to talk.




==Tags, mostly to Jadaris ==

[Arwen Qi]

Papaver seemed to be focusing hard on composing herself. Qi excused himself briefly and returned with a glass of cold water, which he set down on the table nearby. He held himself casually, averting his gaze somewhat. When he’d grappled with claustrophobia during flight simulations at the academy, he’d found that people staring at him only made his anxiety worse.

“Do you two really think psychoanalyzing her, in public, is the proper of action?” Bowman asked the two doctors. Qi agreed, but he was grateful that the two doctors were taking Papaver’s reaction seriously. The Yeager was bigger than his previous ship, but still too small to avoid somebody. She would need to find a way to manage.

Hoping to draw some attention away from Papaver, Qi turned to his incoming midshipman. “Looking forward to you joining us in the lab, Bowman. You can call me Qi. I had a peek at your file. It looks like you had no problem with the science courses at the academy. Is there a particular field that interests you most?”

Qi left his body language open, subtly inviting Papaver to rejoin the conversation if she felt ready.

== Tag all, especially Bowman ==

[Jennifer Braggins]

The room was starting to fill up, and Jenny's deep-routed anxieties about such occasions had wormed its way to the forefront of her mind. She had stood staring at the obscured windows overlooking the bay where her ship had finished (allegedly) her course of repairs and refit. Though she could not physically see the vessel through the opaque viewport, part of her knew that her ship was out there, she could "feel" her in a way she'd not felt a ship since the Voltaire. She'd been told on more than one occasion, usually by crusty old salts in the engine room or retired Captains with nothing else to do, that a Captain bonded with their first command in a way that couldn't be matched. The Yeager wasn't Jenny's first ship (though it would likely be her last if she kept pushing the limits with Starfleet Command), but she felt the same kinship with it that she'd felt with the Voltaire.

She'd put so much of her blood, sweat, and tears into the construction and maintenance of the Voltaire and the recommissioning of the original Yeager that they'd felt like family. Every quirk, idiosyncrasy, and flaw. So much of the previous Yeager had made its way into the current ship, it didn't feel like a different ship at all, despite the state-of-the-art equipment.

It was more a refit than new construction, probably how Nahamcam snuck it past the SCE. Shame Starfleet assigned it a random registration and didn't slap a dash-A on it.

Speaking of random, Jenny turned and looked out from her isolation on the stage. Her crew were assembling and mingling with the guests from Starbase 214 and further afield. They were as much a mishmash of components as the Yeager itself was; the renegades, the rejects. The Yeager crew was, for the most part, a real-life representation of the Island of Misfit Toys. The newer crew, those assigned straight from the Academy, were free from the stigma and baggage that came with 75% of the crew's service records; they would be the redemption of the Yeager in the court of public opinion.

Or the Yeager would inevitably corrupt them, too.

Let's recap:
First Officer - Mutineer. Sleeping with Security Officer?
Helmswoman - Murderer.
Tactical Officer - Assaulted an Admiral's kid.
Engineer - Lost his ship, on top of being Gorn.
Science Officer - One of Adaran's bunch.
Security Officer - Mutineer. Sleeping with First Officer?
Medical Officer - Klingon expat.
And that's just the Senior Staff...

If anyone on the outside were to look at her crew and the list of crimes and misdemeanors on their service records, they'd assume that either the records were inaccurate, or that Jenny had created some kind of Dirty Dozen/A-Team for a deniable operation behind enemy lines. It wasn't even beyond the realms of possibility that that was exactly what the higher-ups had planned for her and her crew...

Mentally shaking herself out of her rabbit hole, Jenny allowed herself a small smile. They weren't a polished team like the crew of the Enterprise or Voyager, but they were a good crew, with the same rough edges and can-do energy as the Cerritos or Starbase 80 some twenty years previously. They got stuff done in their own way, and were unapologetic about stepping on toes or offending the sensibilities of foreign diplomats. That was probably why even this ceremony, supposedly an official commissioning, was distinctly lacking in attending VIPs.

Jenny decided she preferred it that way.

Which one is most like Beckett Mariner? And who would be Boimler?

[Mika Bowman]

The two doctors didn’t seem pleased with the observation that Mika had presented mere moments ago. Perhaps that should’ve been anticipated, especially as those who were masters of their field weren’t too keen on potentially being ‘corrected’ by someone on the outside. Mika would just as easily feel the same if a layman were sticking their nose in her labs. Regardless, it didn’t make her suggestion any less valid.
 
Doctors also get more touchy-feely with people. It’s usually much simpler with inanimate objects, as they can’t object, or be insulted, when you poke with such vigor. With people you have to be considerate with the outside world, less helpful.
 
“Looking forward to you joining us in the lab, Bowman. You can call me Qi. I had a peek at your file. It looks like you had no problem with the science courses at the academy. Is there a particular field that interests you most?”
 
From this brief welcoming, Mika believed that he was one who’d rather focus more on the scientific aspects, rather than strictly adhering to rank and title. While he was the Chief Science Officer, which probably afforded him some leeway, the scientific truth was all that should realistically matter. Which was what she tried her hardest to focus on.
 
“If you’d like, you can call me Mika. Or, if you really want, Bowman will do just fine. Only my middle has to be ‘earned’.”
 
She spoke quite friendly, and took a sip of her wine immediately afterwards. Even when some people saw her middle name of ‘Savanna’, some believed it was okay to also call her that. It wasn’t that she hated her middle name, it was just something she reserved for individuals that were close with her, and even then in a personal time. Whenever she was in public, or working, she wouldn’t even accept those close knits to call her anything but her first or last names. Couldn’t let other people think it was okay.
 
“I’ve always tended to be more well-rounded in my fields. The unknown was what’s always fascinated me, and it’s not quite as fun sitting in a lab, on Earth, getting the scraps from what’s already been discovered.”
 
== Tag ==

[Arwen Qi]

The noise in the observation lounge was rising to a comfortable hum of chatter. Most of the crew was finding a way to socialize, despite the stifling formality of the occasion. Crew parties had been looser aboard the Geronimo. Last time Qi had earned a pip, he wasn’t even wearing a shirt to pin it on. Braggins seemed like she understood the politics of Starfleet, knew how to play by their rules, at least well enough to buy herself some leeway. Qi would have to learn that trick eventually, if he wanted to make captain someday. Did he want that?

“If you’d like, you can call me Mika,” the new science officer replied. “Or, if you really want, Bowman will do just fine. Only my middle has to be ‘earned’.”

Qi laughed. Middle names weren’t common on Trill, but they were a feature of many human cultures. Like Romulan true names, they seemed like a little secret that humans carried with them throughout their lives, though they didn’t tend to have the same spiritual significance. Sometimes he wished his parents had given him one.

“I’ve always tended to be more well-rounded in my fields. The unknown was what’s always fascinated me, and it’s not quite as fun sitting in a lab, on Earth, getting the scraps from what’s already been discovered.”

Qi swirled the wine in his glass. It seemed that Mika was using Starfleet as a conduit to her career in science, rather than the other way around. He respected that.

“Rest assured, there’s plenty to discover aboard the Yeager. The ship has its quirks, but the systems are powerful once you learn your way around. We all have to do a little bit of everything from astrophysics to molecular biology, but I hope you’ll keep an eye out for your true passion as a scientist. At the very least, it will help me decide which projects to assign you.”

== Tag Bowman/all ==

[Mika Bowman]

Qi seemed amused by Mika having a middle name. She knew not every species had more than one name; some only had one. Sipping her white wine, she listened to her superior officer.
 
“Rest assured, there’s plenty to discover aboard the Yeager. The ship has its quirks, but the systems are powerful once you learn your way around. We all have to do a little bit of everything from astrophysics to molecular biology, but I hope you’ll keep an eye out for your true passion as a scientist. At the very least, it will help me decide which projects to assign you.”
 
Mika silently pondered the Chief Science Officer's words. Perhaps she should have specialized during her training. Her parents might have held her back. Staying on Earth instead of joining Starfleet could have led to a more specialized calling. However, she focused on the great unknown, her reason for being in service.
 
"My parents had me in a lab since I was a teenager, presumably to excel in all scientific fields. They’re anti-military and don't want anything to do with me now. They see me as the Great Traitor to Science. That being said, I'll try to hone in on a specific area, but I can't make any promises."

[Theresa Black]

== NRC – Lt(jg) Papaver – Science == 


While Qi took Bowman under his wing, Papaver began regaining her centre. Sudden flashbacks were never a good way to introduce yourself to new junior officers.

“I think I'm going to be okay now.” She said briefly glancing over to Jadris then back to Bremner.

“I'm not normally like this. And this is not exactly the best place for this to have happened.” She recalled the advice she'd been given by Dr Gadling back on the course, “And I will book an appointment as soon as I can.” She added picking up the glass of water Qi had supplied.

Fixing her smile once again, though this time a little more forced, she asked in general; “Anyone know when the formalities are going to kick off properly?”

== Tags for the sake of tagging ==

[Pax Cassidy]

Cassidy tugged at his end of his sleeve as he hustled down the Starbase corridor. The dress uniform’s stiff fabric tended to snag on the joint of his cybernetic arm. He’d removed the right sleeve from most of his clothes when he lived on Riani, but attitudes in Starfleet were different. Nobody ever looked twice at his implants, at least not at first. Cybernetic augmentation was commonplace enough.

People in Starfleet only tended to turn a bit pale when they found out that he’d replaced his arm and eye voluntarily. Associations with the Borg had made that type of procedure unfashionable, to say the least. Of course, his spine replacement was very much not voluntarily. That was another, more painful story.

As he stepped into the observation lounge, he glanced at the officers already gathered and mingling. He felt a strange weight of responsibility for them. He’d treated hundreds of people on his previous posting aboard the USS Reyes, but this was different. These weren’t just patients, they would be his friends and crewmates too.

He spotted a woman who he recognized as the captain standing by herself. Might as well introduce himself now. He was due to meet her hours ago.

“Apologies for my lateness, Captain,” Cassidy said, extending his metal hand. “I was supposed to arrive two days ago, but my last patient on the Reyes was going through a difficult labor. I’m happy to say that dad and his six polyps are happy and healthy.”

== Tag all/Braggins ==

[Callan Campbell]

== Sorry for the delay, it’s been a busy week ==

"Skål!" said Commander Jensen, joining Callan’s toast with a familiar phrase that Callan recognised from home. In the pubs and bars of Scotland people toasted using either the ancient language of the Gaels or the equally ancient language of the Vikings that occupied the far north and east of Scotland. Callan didn’t figure Jensen for a Scot so he may be a descendant of Vikings of Scandinavia. Or maybe he was just using a phrase he’d heard other people using in bars, Callan mentally shrugged.

"Midshipman Campbell, right?", he asked, reaching out his hand for the younger man to shake.

“That’s right Sir. Just arrived on the starbase today, it’s good to meet you.” Cal replied with a grin, shaking the hand offered, aiming to match the grip equally.

"It's a pleasure. Welcome to the Yeager", he said with sincerity.

"Midshipman Campbell, Commander Jensen. Strange they give us a commissioning ceremony, with all the fuss over refitting the ship in the yard queues."

This new voice came from behind Callan, behind and…up.

Turning, he looked up into the face of the Gorn he’d met earlier that day. Again he had to suppress an instinctive impulse to flee from this giant predator-looking creature, and reminded himself that this was a respected and experienced member of Starfleet, and incidentally, his boss.

“Hello again Sir. It’s good to see you.” he heard himself say, trying to sound genuine. The more I say it the more I mean it. 

“I had been thinking the same thing about the commissioning ceremony. Was there no time before the first mission after launch, Commander Jensen?” Callan said to both.

To quell the nerves that had been prompted into action at the arrival of the Gorn, Callan’s next instinct was to take a drink, only to find that his whisky glass was empty.

Another arrival approached them and began speaking to Commander Jadaris. Callan took the opportunity to turn to face the bar and ask for a refill.

A few more drams an' it’ll be no different than a Friday night in Glasgow an' you’ll be best mates wi' anyone, he told himself.

== Tags Jensen and Jadaris ==

[Mika Bowman]

While Qi had been mentoring Mika, the young woman observed that her fellow science officer was beginning to stabilize. It is possible that the intervention by the medical professionals had a positive impact, although Mika could not definitively say so. She did hear that Papaver mentioned she would soon schedule an appointment.
 
Time will reveal if she follows through. Anyone who asserts they never lie is either dishonest or adept at concealing their true intentions. Admitting the need for help requires strength. Everyone has dark aspects of their past, albeit to varying degrees. My history with my estranged parents might be insignificant compared to many others here.
 
"Anyone know when the formalities are going to kick off properly?"
 
Mika was curious about this as well. If attendance had not been strongly encouraged, she would have preferred to avoid wearing her dress uniform altogether. Complimentary beverages were always welcomed, even synthetic ones, as they eliminated concerns about experiencing a severe hangover the following morning.
 
"Hopefully soon. However, it seems that the laws of time and space become distorted when one is compelled to wear such uncomfortable attire, in my opinion."

== Tags ==

[Ian Elliot]

While he waited for his new commanding officer to answer, Ian couldn’t help but have his eye caught by one man entering the room. If there was one thing that was more intriguing to Ian than a Gorn engineer, it was a cyborg. The only thing keeping Ian from bounding up to him was the fact the man was introducing himself to the Captain, a woman that Ian was too afraid of to approach by himself.

Too far away from any computer controls to try and hack them again, Ian was even more intrigued since he could not look this man up. He was shorter than Ian was (though part of that was due to Ian’s small amount of Klingon genetics), was older than Ian was, and definitely looked more professional than Ian thought.

He couldn’t take his eyes off him. His cybernetic arm and hand, his glowing, cybernetic eye, and the young Engineer couldn’t help but wonder what other parts of the man were not human.


==Current tags to Jadaris, new tags to Cassidy!==

[Jennifer Braggins]

The crowd had now grown to include the majority of the Yeager crew, save those overseeing work on the Yeager's systems or granted personal leave; it was the most people she'd had under her direct command with the exception of the times she'd been left in charge of the Gettysburg or Artemis while Tyra was off the ship. Though the crew had expanded by about half over what it had been before, it was still less than she would have hoped; a standard Pathfinder-class carried a crew of 120, which was what Starfleet Command had now assigned to the Yeager, despite the peculiarities and technical mashups that would require an expanded engineering complement. Still, it was better than what she'd had to work with a week ago...

“Apologies for my lateness, Captain. I was supposed to arrive two days ago, but my last patient on the Reyes was going through a difficult labor. I’m happy to say that dad and his six polyps are happy and healthy.”

Jenny turned to see a bulky man with a shaved head and well-defined beard standing before (and above) her. Though he was of less than average height for a Human, he was still a good six inches taller than Jenny, and wore Medical teal; she'd seen his face on one of the many personnel jackets she'd been sent over the last few weeks, but she'd expected him a few days ago. For a moment she struggled to place a name to the face, until she noticed that one of his eyes was an occular implant, and the hand he had extended towards her was a cybernetic replacement; neither had been medical necessity, but personal choice.

For someone who had fought the Borg and seen what they were capable of, it was unnerving to say the least. With a little hesitation, she reached out and shook the cybernetic limb, 

"The important thing is that you got here before we left. We'll talk more later; for now, this is a great chance to meet the crew."

Releasing her new Medical Officer's hand, Jenny forced a brief smile before exhaling slowly.

"Whereas I...have a speech to make..."

[Pax Cassidy]

As Cassidy approached the captain, he couldn’t help but notice that he had attracted the gaze of a young engineering officer. He looked to be human, or mostly human anyway. His eyes seemed to follow Cassidy with a gleam of curiosity, and possibly admiration?

Many people stole glances at his implants when they thought he wasn’t looking, but few were brave enough to gawk so openly. Cassidy didn’t mind. After all, his implants were an impressive feat of engineering, and a happy reminder of his mentor who had designed them. If the engineer asked nicely, Cassidy might let him peek at the schematics.

The captain greeted Cassidy politely, though she seemed a bit preoccupied. Cassidy returned her smile and left her to her preparations.

I thought this ceremony was just a formality. Maybe there’s more going on here than I thought.

In the meantime, Cassidy decided to follow the captain’s suggestion and get to know his fellow crewmates, starting with the engineer who seemed eager to get to know him. He was standing next to a towering Gorn that Cassidy recognized from the crew manifest as Jadaris, the chief engineer. He flashed a broad, guileless grin and extended his cybernetic arm for a handshake.

“You must be the grease monkeys,” Cassidy said. His voice was rich and resonant, despite his relatively short stature. Among this group, he felt even shorter than he was. He found himself craning his neck more than usual. “At least, that’s what they called my dad’s engineering crew on the ship where I grew up. Never did find out why.

“I figured I’d come by and introduce myself since I’m half metal anyway. I’m Dr. Cassidy, I’ll be joining the medical team in case either of you need a tune up.”

== Tag Elliot/Jadaris ==

[Leo Alden]

After an over-running final exam and a transport mix-up, Leo was finally standing in his newly appointed quarters aboard the Yeager. He was originally due to be transferred with a small group of other freshly qualified officers from the Academy, but they had already boarded and shipped out before his own exam had finished.

Delays put aside, as frustrating as they were, Leo stood in his new room reading the Padd which contained his assignment details.

Great. A party to get the day going.

Leo checked his internal sarcasm so it didn’t slip out when he got to the official commissioning ceremony which was listed on his Padd and got dressed in his new, unused whites. Uncomfortable as they made him feel, it wouldn’t be as uncomfortable as a party, let alone one with so many unknown people.

Rushing himself a bit as a result of already being late, Leo arrived at the observation lounge where he entered a room full of officers all dressed to impress. Leo’s face showed off that he was attempting to remain neutral, he never did have a good poker face, but he tried to hide his discomfort within such a gathering, but also because he was panicking that his bright ginger hair was dramatically clashing with the almost brilliant white of his uniform. His hazel eyes darted around the room rapidly, finding the Cadets he had gone to the Academy with and many of the officers he read about in the ship's roster, but his gaze was drawn by two individuals in particular, a large gorn and a cyborg.

He had read up on the Yeager and its crew on his way to Starbase 214 as many things he heard about its possibly sordid history and its pirate like crew, which he always believed to be just rumours, and they were until he read the accessible files on its previous mission.

I didn't see them on the roster, so maybe if they're here, the rumours about the ship  are just as real as them two are. Good to know.

Trying his hardest not to stare and be rude, Leo walked further into the room wordlessly, as everyone else was already engaged in some conversation and he didn’t want to interrupt them. As he walked about, he tried to keep an eye out for the captain, having the need to introduce himself and let her know that he was aboard and ready to work and moved towards his captain in an attempt to do so after spotting her.

“Captain Braggins, a brief moment of your time please” Leo called out just loudly enough to be heard over the hustle and bustle of people mingling.

[Jadaris]

==I understand the busy week==

“Hi I’m Ian Elliot, Ensign Ian Elliot, came over from HQ, I was working us the SS Yeager for a time, my own little project ship you could call her, Admirals loved me sir, I was bounced all over the place in Sol Sector to fix their problems, I love a good problem sir, specialized in starship engineering sir, I could put a ship back together with my eyes closed, such an honor to be working with you sir, I can’t wait to hear everything you have to say!”

“Hello again Sir. It’s good to see you.”

Jadaris, hearing from two people at once, looked between them before saying, "Likewise Midshipman. I'm glad to see you haven't run away from what Star Fleet Engineering calls the "nightmare" of fusing a Pathfinder saucer and a Yeager hull."

He then replied to Ian,

"Ensign Elliot. I do recall you from my Engineering manifest, and I recall that you had quite the Academy career. Tell me, are you familiar with asynchronous warp field generation methods? Because if so, I might have a side project for you to handle in engineering."

Jadaris got a refill on his tea as Elliot turned to the cyborg wearing a medical dress uniform. As he exchanged his cup, he nodded as the doctor introduced himself,

“I figured I’d come by and introduce myself since I’m half metal anyway. I’m Dr. Cassidy, I’ll be joining the medical team in case either of you need a tune up.”

Jadaris took Pax's cybernetic hand and firmly shook it. Gorn strength being what it was, Pax would be able to tell that Jadaris was being careful with the handshake.

"I'd call myself the grease skink, since I'm not a mammal, but that sums part of what we do up. We keep the lights on in sickbay, and the life support on more than just life support." His humor needed some work, but he was like that around new people. He had to gauge what they were like before opening up.

"Will you be replacing Dr. Beinn over there?" He pointed out the wolf-like officer that was putting away his medical tricorder and taking a seat in the back again. "Even if you aren't, I'm still happy to see someone partially mechanical joining the ship's crew. My half-brother from the family that helped raise me was a cyborg doctor as well, lost both of his eyes in an Academy accident; so if you need engineering's help, just let us know."

==tag Elliot, Campbell and Cassidy==

[T'Lari]

== Sorry for the delay, got sick and then have been dealing with a family emergency. ==

T'Lari entered, fighting down a moment of embarrassment. She was late. Very, very un-Vulcan. She'd been studying a new tactical briefing, and had even set a timer to alert her before the ceremony... before she cancelled it. Part of her didn't want to be here despite knowing it was her duty. A delayed commissioning ceremony for a Frankenstein's monster of a ship crewed by what Starfleet viewed as barely better than a pirate's crew and captained by a woman for whom the word 'colorful' didn't even begin to describe. As far as she was concerned this was being done for political reasons, and T'Lari had a distinct dislike for fleet politics.

Still, they'd escaped the whole mess with no real repercussions, and Starfleet even seemed intent on slapping a coat of respectability on the crew. The half-Vulcan, half-Romulan could at least be grateful that her career was (for the moment) still on track again. And she'd even gotten a chance to test the Yeager's abilities in battle. They were impressive. The ship's shields and weapons could hold their own and they responded instantly. T'Lari had never served on such an advanced starship, even if it wasn't much more than a piecemeal replica of the older Yeager.

There were a lot of new faces. Starfleet had given them a serious (though still somewhat understaffed) crew, even if many of them seemed to be fresh-faced Midshipmen.

The Captain was already here, as was the Bridge crew that T'Lari had inexplicably found herself attached to. She was determined to meet as many as possible and made a mental note to speak to Braggins later. She had a question, one that she had to admit was merely to satisfy her curiosity. 

In the meantime, though, it is time to 'mingle,' as the humans say. What an odd word.

With that she looked around, seeing the crew members forming small knots of people talking about this or that. She was about to pick one group at random when she noticed the Gorn (holding a teacup?) with Commander Jensen. Unusual but certainly not unheard of; there were several Gorn in Starfleet, and T'Lari had no preconceived notions about his people. Then, as she watched the Engineering Commander gave the First Officer a Vulcan bow.

Intriguing.

T'Lari maneuvered herself through the crowd to the group, by which time the Gorn officer had been joined by others. One she knew, Ensign Elliot, one of the crew of the previous Yeager who had stayed on after the whole mess with the theft of that ship and the subsequent unpleasantness aboard the Philadelphia. T'Lari hadn't spoken much to him, but he had been one of those who'd managed to keep the old ship from falling apart. That took skill.

One of the other new arrivals was a human, shaven headed, and with several obvious cybernetic enhancements. T'Lari was intrigued. Had he been injured? Most opted for regrown body parts or biomechanics. These were not that.

"Greetings." She gave a minor Sele'sta Vulcan bow indicating relaxed formality, appropriate for such an event, and nodded to the human medical officer and Gorn engineer. "My apologies for intruding on your conversation. I am T'Lari. Welcome to the Yeager. Ensign Elliot, it is good to see you again."

== Tags Elliot, Cassidy, and Jadaris ==