Final Preparations

Posted on Sat May 11th, 2024 @ 8:35pm by Captain John Theisman & Lieutenant Commander Ryssa Toric

1,050 words; about a 5 minute read

John might have missed the grandness of the Luna class ship, but he had to admit that the Intrepid class was quite impressive on its own. Sleek, lethal and more than capable, the new Hyperion promised to be just as capable as any other ship he had served on. The Hyperion cruised above Mars in a standard orbit, having been released from drydock and deemed ready for assignment. All that was left was a final call for assigned crew and a systems check that engineering was already taking care of. That just left a few minor details for John to take care of. Looking up as the doors to his ready room opened, he waved at his first officer as she walked in.

"Commander Toric, I'm glad you're here. There are a few details I want to go over with you," he said.

She nodded. "Where do you want to begin?" She was eager to get everything settled and head out.

"First order of business is personnel," John said as he handed the commander a padd. "Commander Jaeih t'Dhar of the Romulan Galae will be coming aboard later today. I'd like you to meet her when she boards, if for nothing else to get a feel on her. Officially, she's been added to the roster as a mission advisor, but she's our liaison from the Romulan Empire. There's an agreement in place that she'll wear a variant Starfleet uniform and be considered as a member of the crew. I understand she's gone through a basic introduction course at Starfleet Academy, so she'll be familiar with the ship and our shipboard systems as well as procedures and the like. A warning, she's a twenty year veteran of the Galae, but as her Romulan superiors and our own people at the Academy put it, she's a bit odd and not your typical Romulan."

"Sounds interesting. I'll give her the grand tour and, if needed, take her to her quarters so she can settle in. That should give me time to get a feel for her." Ryssa was curious what made a 20-year veteran a bit of an odd duck.

"Second item," John said as he closed his eyes and prayed really really fast that this part wouldn't come back to haunt him. "I've been authorized to grant Mara a field commission as a warrant officer and have her added to medical as a nurse. Her medical credentials are still valid, and we could always use a good nurse on hand. And, it'll give her something to do other than sit around and think of ways to torment me."

The first officer did not react to that at all--it was safer that way. She didn't dare comment on the captain's relationship. "Very good, sir."

John leaned back in his chair and studied the commander for a moment before he waved for her to sit down. Once she had, he nodded. "Have you ever dealt with Romulans before, Commander?" he asked.

"On occasion, but generally only the scientists, sir." She was well aware that the scientific community was often more open and willing to share information than the higher-ups.

"Then as a general warning," John said as he pressed his hands together and rested his chin on his fingertips. "Romulans in general are cool and calculating. They plan everything five moves in advance and somehow maneuver every encounter their way. On the occasion you do surprise them, you become a target of their interest. Now there are always exceptions, but I do want to warn you to be careful. Very careful."

Ryssa nodded slowly. "Thank you. I will keep that in mind." And hopefully not make a serious mistake because she would rather let the captain be front and center.

John studied his first officer for a moment before he nodded and leaned back. "This is your first assignment in a command position if I remember correctly isn't it?" he asked.

"It is." She was eager to see what the Romulan territory had for them to learn, but she knew her experience with Romulans was not very extensive.

Nodding, John offered a smile. "It can be a little overwhelming at first, and our situation isn't exactly something that Starfleet can fully prepare you for," he said. "The Romulans themselves by nature are secretive, in fact their secrets have secrets. The entire exploration exchange treaty that they've signed with the Federation will hopefully open the door for a closer relationship between the Empire and the Federation. So, no pressure on us," he chuckled a little at the end.

"Oh, none at all," she replied humorously. But she couldn't help adding, tongue-in-cheek. "It's a good thing they did away with summary hangings centuries ago. It's not likely we'll do more than open the door a crack."

"Well, we wouldn't have been hanged for failing to obtain a formal treaty or for ushering the Romulans into joining the Federation," John said with a laugh. "Dismissed from our positions and beached for a year or two maybe. They usually saved the summary executions for more serious crimes. And I'm not sure if Starfleet is really expecting us to do much good in that area anyway. I get the feeling that this might be our only chance to poke around Romulan territory without half a fleet of warbirds watching our every move and they're not about to let the opportunity go to waste."

"I don't blame them. This really is an incredible opportunity." And one she was grateful to be a part of.

"It really is," John admitted. "And if any long lasting good comes out of our time here, it's even better." Glancing at the time, he made a face and sighed. "I have a conference call in a few minutes. Hopefully it's my last one before we can sneak out of here and get underway."

Ryssa nodded. "Then I'll leave you to it." She stood and inclined her head respectfully. "See you later, captain."

"Good luck, Commander," John offered his first officer a parting nod before he turned towards the computer terminal monitor on his desk. Hopefully, he was done with Starfleet Command after this because he had a starship to manage.

Lieutenant Commander Ryssa Toric
Executive Officer
USS Hyperion

Captain John Theisman
Commanding officer
USS Hyperion

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