Any excuse for a party!

Posted on Thu Nov 25, 2021 @ 12:55am by Commander Ajani Carter & Lieutenant Commander Sunita Conlon & Lieutenant Commander Ethan Brash & Lieutenant Commander Dr. Elisabet Intarrah Ph.D MD & Lieutenant Sibyl Danzer & Lieutenant Hadir Prenar & Lieutenant Jossen Kassus MD & Lieutenant JG Karl Scheer

Mission: Episode 6: Discovery
Location: High bay Lounge
Timeline: MD 00
2108 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Ajani Carter stood at the back of the room with a drink watching as everyone arrived. The senior staff were here, as they were still orbiting Illiran a junior crew had been left in command of the bridge. Tonight was special as she was getting to preform a duty that every captain enjoys, the promotion of several of her senior officers. The lounge staff had done great in preparing the setting. A wide range of drinks had been procured from the surface while a spread of buffet food had been replicated and laid out in the middle of the room. She smiled. The last few months had been difficult for them all and a party was a much needed function!

Lise entered. "What's this Ajani? A party? I knew there was something I like about you from the moment we met."

Carter smirked, she had long since given up on trying to get the doctor to use her rank. The younger women was endearing though.

Sunny came into the lounge with her uniform collar zipped down and was happy to see a buffet laid out. She waved at the captain and went to grab a drink herself from the replicator.

"Warp Core Breach for one, sweet."

The small bowl swirling with carbon-dioxide materialized and she lifted the straw to her mouth, before meandering over to pick at the food.

Hadir arrived at the lounge a little nonplussed for having been summonsed. He had paperwork mounded above his over six foot frame that he had to complete. After action reports and the like. Yet when the Captain orders you to a party you come without exception. He was happy to see a well stocked bar which he made his way to without a word. Moments later he sat at the bar with a glass of dark thick liquid, kanar. At least the drink made him smile.

Whether he was Vulcan or not, Jossen had never enjoyed large social settings. He took a moment to breathe before turning the corner and proceeding into the lounge. Still largely unfamiliar with this new ship and crew, Jossen could not help but find the nearest corner of the room to sneak away to. In most social settings Jossen preferred to be a casual observer of people rather than the topic of conversation, or worse still, forced to engaged in casual small-talk, so when given the chance to avoid it he had no qualms taking it. He half-hoped some medical emergency would force him back into his office, but most of the senior staff seemed to be enjoying themselves, he thought perhaps he should try to as well...eventually.

When Sibyl followed the foot traffic into the lounge, she sensed the familiar mixture of pleasure, indifference, annoyance, and anxiety that was the hodge-podge of feelings people tended to bring to such occasions, each for their own reasons. On arrival she moved in a little beyond the door and paused, taking stock as she matched the emotive sense of each person with their visage. For the most part their body language matched with her empathic impressions and that was actually a fairly good sign that nothing was terribly amiss in the department of such strange not-always-so-fictional events such as body doubles, nanite take-over, mind control, or secret agents. unless they weren't aware they were agents and hadn't yet been activated. She smirked at herself. This was no way to enjoy a party, she chided herself mentally. She just couldn't help always being on the defensive, even if only passively so. Sibyl lowered her shoulders with her defenses and entered the room fully, taking a drink and a seat with the rest.

"I have arrived!" Ethan declared, swooping into the room with an attempt at a slide through the doorway. Sadly, the carpet and his boots didn't agree with the idea, leaving him leaning so far left, he began to tip over. He caught himself just before falling, quickly brushing imaginary flakes of dust from his uniform. He turned towards the table of food, grinning, "Now that's what I like to see!"

Karl had not been on the ship long when he heard the rumor mill grinding about a party. 'Well, I'm never one to turn down a free drink.' He thought to himself and made his way to the lounge. Quietly entering and making his way over to the replicator, "Whiskey neat," he eyed the room before his gaze landed on a familiar red face and an evil grin crept across his mouth.

Carter smiled at each of her officers as they arrived. She was proud of them, all of them. They had been through so much in such a short amount of time. She spotted some of the senior NCO's, people who were on her senior staff but never got any of the limelight. Ajani made a mental note to make more effort with them, with all her officers and crew. In that moment she had a slight moment of doubt that she was doing a good job, this was her first Command after all.

A slow, dull tone laced the voice that materialized beside her, "Watching from afar, Captain?" There the ship's quartermaster stood at her flank, leaning against the nearby wall as if she'd been lurking there the whole time.

"Ah," she started "But if I didn't watch from afar I would have missed Ethan's less than graceful entrance" she smiled, "Does he do anything with grace?" she teased.

There was a short pause as Etzel's gaze moved about the room. Her inky-black eyes finally settled back on the Chief of Operations. He was laughing like a fool. Etzel's tongue clicked lightly behind her blue lips before she answered, "No."

Carter chuckled a little "Good."

Sunny moved through the room, acknowledging Prenar and Danzer, who had recently been knee-deep in Borg with her, and made her way over to Dr. Krassus, while sipping from her straw, "How's moving in going? Putting out family photos, getting your chair to the right height, displaying your instruments of torture to discourage faking illnesses?"

Jossen had gotten to know his new XO before boarding the Eagle, they shared a unique perspective on their posting so he was somewhat relieved when she came up to him. "Quite right, I have a turn-of-the century scalpel on display in the entrance of the sickbay. How is your transition on board?"

"Still getting used to wearing red. Finally getting through a lot of the preliminary paperwork. I think I could give you a run for your money in 'Name that Crewman' bingo now," she took a sip of her drink, "Not drinking anything?"

"Can i have everyone's attention" Ajani said coming to the front of the lounge, standing with her back to the massive picture windows. "The Eagle has been through so much, you have all proven to be the best crew in the fleet." She grinned at them all. "SFC has chosen to acknowledge this with the long over due promotions of Ethan Brash, Elisabet Intarrah and Sibyl Danzer," she indicated with her head, "Well, come up here then!"

Sunny shuffled her drink in her hands and started the clapping. She watched for the named officers, which she could now recognize, to make their way to their leader.

Ethan made his way towards the Captain, returning a nod to Etzel who was still leaned against the wall as she slow-clapped. He checked his hair in the nearby window, attempting to fix it as he moved. Sadly, the jet-black strands loved to spike and refused to stay down. The flamboyance ended as he approached, taking the moment more seriously as his gaze fell upon Carter. "Here I am."

Standing, Sibyl tucked in her chair and flattened her uniform with the palm of her hand. She approached without comment, though the anticipation was evident in her quiet expression. She'd been hoping a promotion would come through for her soon, and the sense that her efforts had paid off was definitely satisfying. With a friendly nod of recognition and camaraderie to him, Sibyl arranged herself near Mr. Brash, but left an opening for Dr. Intarrah as well.

"Hmm, now just what is this about?" Lise wondered as she took position next to Danzer.

Ajani grinned, "Of all the duties and responsibilities that are passed on to a Captain when they the command, promotion is one of the few we enjoy. Thus, it is with pleasure that i here by promote Lieutenant Commander Ethan Brash, Lieutenant Commander Elisabet Intarrah and Lieutenant Sibyl Danzer. They are the embodiment of what it means to be Starfleet. You have made me proud."

Hadir had been silent and brooding since he arrived. He was not fond of large gatherings in general, and large formal gatherings made him feel even worse. However, orders were orders and here he was. When he heard the name of his lady called for promotion his dislike of events such as these departed. He smiled broadly and flashed his green eyes as he looked at her on the stage. He raised his glass of kanar to her in salute.

Ajani motioned for Sunny to join her on stage and then turned and seemingly conjured three small wooden boxes from midair. Engraved on the top of each and inlaid with gold were the names of each of the three officers, and their new rank.

Sunny placed her drink on the edge of the stage and joined Ajani.

Carter stepped forward towards Ethan. "You are a fine officer Ethan, you have long deserved this promotion and I look forward to further antics from you" she reached out a hand bearing the now open box, In side was a single gold rimmed rank pip. "If you would Commander" she said to Sunny.

Sunny took out the pip, took the back off, and made sure to carefully line them up on the collar before pressing them together, "Congratulations, Commander," she murmured and shook his hand.

Tag Ethan

Ajani placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, sharing a moment and smiling at him. Ajani then side stepped to Lise, her Chief of Sciences had served as XO for all of a week. Command had decided not to uphold Carters recommendation though, she had lost more than a few friends in personnel fighting that. "My friend" Carter said putting a hand on her arm, "You have been through so very much and you are still standing, stronger than ever. I am glad you are still with us." Another box appeared, again a single gold rimmed pip lay inside. She angled the box for Sunny to pick up the pip.

Sunny took out the pip, took the back off, and made sure to carefully line them up on the collar before pressing them together, "Congratulations, Commander," she murmured and shook her hand.

"You're promoting me, Ajani? Oh you're going to get immediate pushback for this from Starfleet Command. You know how they simply adore me." Lise grinned.

Last in the line was a relative new comer, "Sibyl" Carter said grinning "What can I say, You have stepped into your role and your place on the Eagle with grace. You have brought with you skill and experience that has severed your shipmates and the Eagle in the most trying of times and it is a privilege to have you aboard." Carter opened the small wooden box revealing a solid gold rank pip.

Sunny took out the pip, took the back off, went to line it up on the collar, and realized that she was doing it wrong. She muttered, "Whoops," put the back on again, put the pip back in the box, reached up to Sibyl's collar for the black-and-gold pip they were replacing, struggled to get the backing off, and finally popped it off while accidentally jamming a knuckle into Sibyl.

With an apologetic look she cleared her throat, then put the old pip in the box, fetched the new pip, and attached it in the correct place, "Congratulations, Co--Lieutenant," she murmured and shook her hand.

She'd had prom date pinnings less awkward than that. Sibyl shook the XO's hand, then rubbed her neck lightly and touched her fingers on the new pip, finding it raised and not inset. "Thank you ma'am."

Ajani Carter smirked. "Thank you Commander Conlon. And thank you all for your service to the Fleet, and to the Eagle."

"There is just one more thing to say. We leave Illiran orbit in 36 hours, enjoy yourselves tonight for tomorrow we embark on our next adventure!" she raised a glass to a cheer!