ST:UNI209 | "Saturn"

Stardate 100612.4

The second year cadets head out on their first training tour with the USS Saturn as it ships out at the head of the first reclamation fleet into former Horde territory.

---

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Activity in the Heart is at a peak not seen since the battle which ended the Horde conflict. Ships from all major Coalition factions gather at the gateway

Though the numbers suggest one large gathering, a closer look reveals that many are simply holding positions in the region, while a smaller but still significant Coalition fleet gathers at the centre of it all. Some familiar forms can be seen, particularly the QanwI' and Kayeri Vaj as they stand out from the Starfleet designs around them. Even if most of those Starfleet ships are much more unusual than most would be familiar with

Even amid the plethora of rarer Engineering Corps. vessels however, the USS Saturn stands out from it's goliath size alone

Within the halls of the Saturn we find a somewhat more familiar visage in the face of CPO Simpatichnaya, formerly of the Valley Forge but transferred back to the ship she served on years ago now ready to join their recolonization mission into former Horde territory

Natalya approaches and chimes the ready room door

Snow calls out, "Come in."

Natalya straightens her tunic and enters, standing rigid as ever before Snow, "Captain"

Snow looks up from his console and smiles, "Petty Officer...Simpatichnaya, was it? No, wait. /Chief/ Petty Officer now. Welcome back to the Saturn, and congratulations on your promotion."

Natalya:"Thank you Captain, it is good to be back"

Snow:"You've been working in this region for some time now, haven't you?"

Natalya:"Yes Sir, I was with the Valley Forge since my previous term here and that took us right up to where we are now"

Snow nods and smiles, "Well, the rest of the crew will be relying on your local expertise, then."

Natalya:"I will make every effort not to let you down, Sir. We seem to have everything in good order at this point and should be on schedule for the mission launch. The final step is for the cadets to board"

Snow chuckles, "Don't worry, we've all done our research, and there's a few other crew transferring on who have been here for a while. So don't feel /too/ pressured, Chief. But you still have been longer than anyone else, what with being on the ship that discovered this Sphere and all. So your insight'll certainly be of benefit to us all."

Natalya:"That is my intention" she nods, "Regarding the cadets, I was uncertain on your protocol; I will greet them as planned upon arrival, but will you or any of the senior staff be in attendance there? And if not, do you wish them brought to you at any point during their induction?"

Snow considers, "Well, if babysitting them alone's too daunting of a task..."

Natalya flusters, "I- no, I do not think... I mean, I would not consider it babysitting..."

Snow laughs, "I'm just messing with you, Chief. You'll do fine with the Cadets, I'm sure. As for bringing them to me, I think it will be good for future officers of the fleet to visit up on the bridge instead of giving them all lower decks assignments."

Natalya nods, "I will make sure that is included in their rotations" she checks her PADD, "In fact, according to their records a few of this class have already logged some duty hours on active starships"

Snow:"And I was just about to ask you to select a few exceptional candidates we could give a few quieter bridge shifts to, but looks like you're one step ahead of me. See? You're doing great, Chief."

Natalya:"Thank you, SIr. Are there any other special considerations you have in mind for their rotation here before I look to finalizing their schedules?"

Snow:"Just make sure they get some impactful jobs, preferably relevant to their fields of study. Don't let any of them get stuck with holodeck cleanup duty or something like that. They're here to learn, so let them get something they can learn from. The senior staff will accomodate as needed."

Natalya:"Understood. With that settled then, I have nothing more at this time"

Snow nods, "Good luck with the Cadets, Chief. Let me know if you or they need anything."

Natalya returns the nod and spins around, heading out

—

Meanwhile at the Annex...

Mari is among the many cadets disembarking today on their first training tour. She had arranged to meet Kayleigh at the central common area, but unusually the Vulcan is running late

Mariel looks around to see who else is here

No sign of her in the common area, the natural conclusion is that she is still in her room

Mariel makes her way to Kayleigh's room and rings the doorbell upon arriving

Kayleigh calls out, "Come in, it's open"

Kayleigh sure enough is inside, rushedly packing

Mariel steps inside, "Everything alright? Thought you would've had everything packed beforehand..."

Kayleigh pauses and stands, turning to face Mari with a glint of frustration in her voice, "I did have, until it was pointed out that I could not leave her unattended here" she says, pointing to Kit who -

Kayleigh - sits on Kay's bed and yips happily at the attention

Mariel "You sure we can bring her along on the training cruise?"

Kayleigh "Apparently so. And now I have to rush and pack things for her, which is not how I wanted to start this assignment"

Kit yips at her again

Kayleigh "Don't give me that tone, this is all your fault"

Mariel giggles at the interaction and leans down to give Kit a scratch, "Anything I can do to help?"

Kayleigh looks around doing a quick mental inventory, "Hmm, if you could pack up her food from over there that would help. I am almost done with the bedding. Oh, do not forget the replicator patterns. They are on a chip with the food"

Mariel nods, "On it!" She steps over to pack up the food and makes sure to grab the chip with them

Kayleigh continues packing up everything else, "Fortunately I /was/ well prepared so everything of mine is raady to go"

Mariel "Yeah, packing up all your stuff /and/ Kit's last minute would be even more of a challenge!"

Kayleigh "I assume you are already packed and ready?"

Mariel nods, "Was just waiting on you, thought I'd check since you don't usually run late."

Kayleigh pauses and looks to her, "You were already waiting at our rendezvous? And... I was late?"

Mariel "For once, yeah," she stands. "Food is packed!"

Kayleigh checks the time on her PADD, "That means we're actually late now, we have to go come on!" she grabs her freshly packed bags and bolts for the door

Mariel grabs the bag with the food and follows, "Wait up! Kit's speed is starting to rub off on you, now..."

Kit jumps down and follows the pair like it's a fun game

The two cadets - and Kit - rush across the annex to get to their shuttle without causing delay

Mariel "Well Kit seems excited to come along..."

Kayleigh "I have determined that she is perpetually excited. Not far now, just across the lobby"

Professor Rouhani steps aside as she sees the two rushing cadets, "Late for the training cruise?"

Kayleigh waves a hand without breaking pace, "Sorry Professor, but yes!"

Rouhani laughs, "Better get going then, don't want to make a poor first impression!" She turns back to speak with Keelah as the cadets rush past

Keelah watches and chuckles as the pair head off, "Ahh, I still remember that feeling"

Rouhani: "Good old times..."

Keelah, "And to think I've got to live through it all again next year with Pia going- woah" she hops to one side as Kit comes darting between her feet in pursuit of the pair

Rouhani watches as Kit darts after the two, "I heard that pet caused quite the stir around here..."

Keelah nods, "Keep an eye on that one. If you think she caused a stir here last time, then clearly I have not told you about the time her mother was introduced to the holodeck..."

While the Professors gossip, the two speeding cadets turn another corner and exit onto the landing pad where their class is just boarding a shuttle

Mariel "There's everyone else! Looks like we're just in time!"

Kayleigh hurries over with Mari

The Tellarite Professor Skogg stands by the shuttle, waving the two over, "Ah, there you are! Get over here already Cadets, you're going to be late!"

Kayleigh takes a moment to compose herself and heads over, "Of course, Professor" she looks around for Kit who comes running up and jumps to perch on her shoulder

Mariel follows over into the shuttle as Skogg counts all the cadets within

Skogg taps his combadge, "Alright, that's everyone on board!"

The shuttle lifts off and heads away from the Annex and towards the gathering fleet

Kayleigh & Mari take their seats among their classmates as the shuttle lifts off

Mariel "Looks like we were just in time Kay!"

Miklos snorts, "Knew I should have put some latinum on you two being late" he looks to Mari, "Get caught up in your training again?"

Mariel "Wasn't me this time!" She looks to Kit

Everyone else looks to Kit too, then to Kay

Miklos, "Huh... go figure"

Kayleigh eyerolls, "Look, I am still adapting to the requirements of having her around"

Shavi, "On the subject of looking..." she points out of the window

Everyone squeezes up to get a decent view as they come into range of the Saturn

Kerafar, "/That's/ the ship we're going on? Looks more like a space station..."

Mariel peers out the window as well, "And I thought the Beowulf was a big ship..."

Kayleigh "I believe there are actually stations that are smaller than the Jupiter"

Shavi: "Jupiter? I thought it was called the Saturn?"

Kayleigh "It is"

Shavi: "So... not Jupiter, but you just said..."

Kayleigh "I was correct"

Shavi gives a confused frown, "It can't be the Jupiter /and/ the Saturn!"

Miklos pats Shavi on the head, "So cute. The USS Saturn is a Jupiter class!"

Shavi brushes the hand away and flushes a little, "I- I knew that... shut up!"

Everyone has a good chuckle, and with spirits high the shuttle makes it's final approach to the ship they'll be spending the next several weeks on...

—

In the Saturn's hangar, Natalya stands firm and ready, PADD in hand folded at her back, as she watches the shuttle touch down

The cadets slowly all file out, looking around like lost sheep

Natalya waves her PADD overhead, "Over here Cadets, gather around"

Miklos glances over and snorts, "Just some enlisted? I thought we'd at least be met by the first officer..."

Kerafar, "Many hold to the view that the enlisted ranks are the true value of expertise on a ship"

Miklos scoffs, "Yeah? Then why aren't they the ones commanding it, hm?"

Kayleigh "Either way, she is in active service which makes her outrank all of us" she chimes in as they all congregate around Natalya

Mariel "Logical as always, Kay!"

Kayleigh "Of course"

Natalya clears her throat, naturally having heard everything in the large echoing hangar, "Right, is that everyone? Good. Welcome to the Saturn, cadets. I am CPO Natalya Simpatichnaya and I will be serving as your primary liaison officer for the duration of your tour here. Now let me see..."

Natalya proceeds to rattle off everyone's names in a roll call, each sounding off in response

Natalya, "Perfect. Now then I-"

Kit hops out and stands in front of Kay, yipping at Nat

Natalya looks at Kit, "Um..."

Kayleigh kneels and picks her up, "Apologies Chief" she spins Kit around, "It is not polite to interrupt people like that you know"

Kit yips at her

Kayleigh sighs, "I think Kittiah is upset that you did not call her name out too..."

Natalya, "I, uh... alright... 'Kittiah'?"

Kit yips excitedly back

Natalya looks to Kay: "Better?"

Kayleigh spins Kit around again to face her, "I believe so"

Natalya, "Wait a second..." she approaches, "Kit...tiah? As in... Tiah?"

Mariel "You...know Tiah?"

Kit jumps down and trots over to investigate Nat

Natalya kneels and offers a hand to Kit before petting her, "Yes, until recently I was stationed on the Valley Forge and knew both her and Chief T'Quila quite well"

Natalya, "I had heard that one of the litter had already bonded with someone from the Heart. I did not know it was a cadet from the Annex"

Kit enjoys a friendly fussing before returning to Kay's side

Kayleigh "This is not a problem is it?"

Natalya, "Has she started taking a Humanoid form yet?"

Kayleigh "She has not"

Natalya: "Then there is no problem. Right! Well now, first things first we must get you all settled into your quarters. You have each been assigned individual quarters on deck 25, try to remember that. Inside your rooms you will find details of your initial duty rosters which will commence from 0700 tomorrow. For today we will be conducting a ship tour at 1500 for any who wish to attend, and a welcome reception at 2000 which again is optional"

Kerafar, "All these points are... optional for us?"

Natalya nods, folding the PADD at her back, "One of the things you must adapt to in order to be effective on a starship is the balance of work and routine. Whilst your classes are very much prescribed for your full schedule, that is not the case on a ship. Not to the same extent at least. So outside of your duty shifts, it is up to you to make effective use of your time as you see fit. We will be setting out fixed events during the course of the mission, which you are free to attend or not. You may also find that they sometimes conflict with your duty shifts which is another aspect of shipboard life you will need to adapt to"

Miklos, "So... shift swapping and favours?"

Natalya nods: "These are all normal aspects of daily life on deep space missions, and you are here to get a real understanding of that. Now, any more questions before we set out?"

Shavi: "What kind of duty shifts will we be getting? I presume you have things arranged for us based on our specializations?"

Natalya nods, "Correct, cadet... Shavinnia, was it? You have all been assigned to an officer whom you will shadow for duty shifts based on your individual fields of study. Those of you taking secondary courses will also have rotations to cover those fields too with different officers, and you will all see a regular rotation on the bridge as well"

Mariel "Ooh we get bridge rotations too!"

Natalya nods, "Naturally. While not all of you may be on a command track, even non-command officers and junior officers are expected to perform bridge duties at times"

Kerafar: "What exactly is the Saturn's mission going to be? This ship specializes in Engineering, if I'm not mistaken. Are we helping with the rebuilding of the resettlement project, or does it have to do with field repairs for ships fighting those Diteans?"

Natalya, "Well, the fleet is - as I'm sure you are well aware at this point - heading out to begin resettlement of Horde space. The Saturn's role specificlly is to serve as a centralized command hub for this fleet. While the other ships with us all have essential specialized roles within the mission, none are as defensible as the Saturn - or any SFC vessel really. The Saturn brings a unique advantage in that not only does it host a significant fighting force that can comfortably defend the fleet should anything happen, it is also equipped to bolster the fleets primary mission with its own engineering capabilities. Does anyone have any additional questions?"

Everyone glances around with somewhat blank faces

Natalya: "Good. Then let us begin, right this way" she leads the group out of the hangar

—

Later that day, after settling into their rooms. Kay and Mari join the others for the ship tour. It covers many of the basic amenities, just in larger volumes given the ship's scale, and the engineering, labs etc. until she brings them back to one of the hangars...

Natalya, "Now, you may recall from earlier where the Saturn's role in this mission was clarified. Well, as we prepare for the long outbound journey it just so happens that we get to see the the Saturn doing what it does best...."

Miklos, "And that is?"

Natalya smiles as they reach a door to a hangar like the one they arrived in, "...this"

She opens the door and leads them in to the sight of a spacious hangar where personnel and drones all buzz about the room. In the middle of it all is the QanwI', bearing a few battle scars already, even on it's recently refit hull

Mariel "Woah. Is that an entire Klingon bird-of-prey?"

Kerafar: "Raptor. I /think/ that's a Raptor. So even bigger..."

Natalya smiles, "Correct, Cadet Kerafar. This is the QanwI', one of our heavy escorts for this mission. Since we have a long journey to reach the mission area, it is docked here since it is not meant for long duration flights. We also have the Kayeri Vaj from the OSN, though that ship is more geared like a long range surveillance ship so it is more accomodating for long durations"

Lexi stands in the middle of everything, barking at the Saturn's deck crew, "HEY! Watch the paint, I saw that!"

Mariel spots Lexi, "That's not a Starfleet engineer. Is that the QanwI's Chief Engineer?"

Natalya, "No, that's it's Captain..."

Miklos: "She's the Captain? I thought it would be someone more...Klingon."

Lexi turns at hearing the voices by the door and heads over, "Simple- Simpy- Simp... Natalya! Nobody told me you were here!" she greats with a broad grin and a heavy pat on Nat's shoulder

Natalya, "Simpatichnaya, and yes Captain I am here as you can see"

Lexi: "Simpach... Natalya, yeah! Well you will insist on having a name with more sounds than a good Klingon opera, HAW HAW!"

Kayleigh glances to Miklos, "Are you certain? She seems very Klingon to me"

Miklos: "Okay, you might have a point there..."

Natalya clears her throat, "Cadets, this is Captain Vix, commander of the QanwI'"

Lexi looks around, "Cadets? Oh right, I remember now. Fresh meat! HAHAHA" her gaze settles on Kay

Kayleigh looks over her shoulder, assuming it's something behind her, then back to Lexi

Lexi: "You're tactical, right?"

Kayleigh nods, "Yes Captain"

Lexi groans, "And stiff as a board like every other Vulcan. I almost had hopes for you after seeing..." she glances at Kay's hair, "AHEM, yes, well, if you're along for the ride here you'll want to come out with me on the QanwI' some time, let us show you how a /real/ tactical officer works! HAW!"

Kayleigh "I, um, appreciate that Captain. I am certain the experience would be... interesting"

Lexi guffaws, "Vulcans! Am I right? Well, you kids have fun now, I-" she spots something in the corner of the room and storms off, waving a fist, "OI! Where are you going with that?!"

Mariel "An exchange with a Klingon ship...now that would definitely be an experience!"

Natalya watches Lexi storm off with the attention span of a Skyrim dragon and shakes her head a little, "Despite her demeanour, Captain Vix is actually very well regarded by Starfleet. With a previous host, the Vix symbiont was actually a Starfleet Ambassador, believe it or not. But even with the Lexi host, you could do far worse for someone to learn from. And that goes for all of you, not just Kayleigh here"

Mariel "How did you know her? Was it back with her Starfleet host?"

Natalya shakes her head, "No, it was this host. The QanwI' accompanied the Valley Forge for it's rimward journey so we had many dealings with Captain Vix"

Mariel "Oooh that's how you met her," she glances to Miklos, "See, Enlisted can get around and know lots of important people! Like Chief O'Brien of DS9."

Miklos, "Yeah, well, Orions get around too but they don't rule the galaxy eithe-"

Shavi slaps him hard around the back of the head, "Go on, finish that sentence why don't you"

Mariel laughs

Natalya, "I see that the cadet training has yet to properly adapt to educate future officers on etiquette with non-commissioned officers"

Kayleigh "I would not go that far, Chief. It is perhaps... unrealistic to judge all cadets by Miklos' example"

Miklos, "Hey! I'm right here you know!"

Kayleigh perks a brow, "I am aware. I also not wrong"

Miklos growls a little under her breath, but leaves it at that. His head still hurts from the slap after all

Mariel grins, "Yeah, the rest of us all respect you enlisted personnel!"

Natalya, "I am sure you do. It is a pitfall that many young officers fall into, and whilst it is true that you will outrank all of us once you graduate, we do tend to have much longer service records by a relative measure since we do not spend all those years at the academy. Whether or not you believe you are better than, or above, an NCO, it is always important to remember that you are all crew together regardless of rank and so should at least treat each other with the due level of respect"

Miklos hangs his head a little, truly put in his place now

Natalya, "Anyway, the QanwI' will be receiving maintenance whilst here and it won't be leaving for some time. So if any of you have a particular interest in the work being done, or getting a -

Kayleigh - closer look at that ship there will be plenty of time to do so. We have one last stop for today, and that is the bridge. This way" she leads them out

Kerafar: "Getting a close look at a Klingon ship could be neat..."

Kayleigh "I would also find that interesting if you want to schedule a return visit"

Mariel "I'll come with too! Kind of curious what visions I'll get on a Klingon ship."

Kayleigh "Let's not fall behind the others, we should revisit this topic later"

The trio hurry up to catch the rest of the group before they leave

—

After completing their cursory tour of the ship and getting some time to settle in to their quarters, Kay and Mari now make their way to the welcome reception in the main lounge

Kayleigh "Do you suppose they left this area off the tour intentionally to just reveal it now?"

Mariel "Maybe! A ship this size must have one impressive main lounge..."

Kayleigh "I take it you know no more than me about our partnered officers? What was it the Chief called them, buddies?"

Mariel nods, "That's the term she used. I haven't learned anything about who we're being assigned to either. I think precognition might be more useful than my retrocognition there..."

Kayleigh looks to Mari, "On the subject of your retrocognition... how are you finding it here so far?"

Mariel "This ship is still fairly new and it has more of a supporting role in fleets, so it's not bad at all here. Or maybe my control's just improved since our visit to the Valley Forge. Probably a mix of both."

Kayleigh "A logical conclusion. Still, it would be prudent to maintain your focus while still getting familiar with this ship, and If anything happens I- well, it is only logical to ensure the wellbeing of a classmate"

Mariel smiles, "Thanks for your concern, Kay. I'll be careful, but I think things should be okay on this ship."

Kayleigh "As do I, but the same can not be said for where this ship is going"

Mariel "That's true. Well, I'll be focused and try not to get overwhelmed. Hopefully the training I've received since the Valley Forge visit will help."

Kayleigh looks at a door and checks her PADD, "I believe this is it"

Mariel peers over at the PADD, "I think it should be the right place, yeah."

Kayleigh "Well then, let us see what they have in store" she heads in

Mariel follows in and looks around

As expected, the Saturn's main lounge is massive. However, unlike the lounge of the Shenzhou or even Starfleet flagships, the area hasn't been designed to impress important visitors. The size of the lounge alone is fairly impressive, but the decor is more homely than elegant or formal. A line of smaller windows fill up the outer-facing wall of the lounge like the Galaxy class' Ten Forward but larger. There isn't any huge transparent observation areas or anything built to look grand; it just feels like a large, comfortable lounge one would find on a starbase promenade

Natalya looks over from the bar and waves to the pair. Around the room they can see some of their classmates have already arrived and settled

Mariel spots Natalya and heads over, "Glad we found the right place! It's a nice comfortable lounge you have here!"

Natalya smiles, "Glad to see you both made it. Please enjoy the amenities, I don't think I have seen either of your assigned partners here yet but will be sure to draw them your way when I do"

Mariel glances to the others, "Have our other classmates been paired yet?"

Natalya nods, "A couple of them have, yes. Don't worry, you are not the only ones waiting still! Equally, some of the pairing officers are here, but their cadets aren't. It's the nature of these informal gatherings"

Mariel "Right, that makes sense since there isn't a formal reporting time or anything. Guess we'll have to wait a little, Kay!"

A few minutes later, a younger Andorian male with a red striped uniform and LTJG pips strolls in. He glances around and upon spotting Nat, walks up to her, "Chief! So, which one's Cadet Kayleigh?"

Kayleigh looks over, and up at him, "I am Cadet Kayleigh"

The Andorian looks her over curiously, "You're Vulcan? It's a very human-sounding name you have."

Kayleigh "I am half Human. A Human name in a Vulcan convention was apparently deemed fitting"

Andorian: "That explains it. I'm Lieutenant Tyss Th'tharvoss. You can call me Three Tee. It's my callsign, but almost everyone except senior officers use it on the regular because it's easier to say than my surname for non-Andorians."

Kayleigh perks a brow, "Three... Tee? Very well then. If that is a callsign, does that mean you are a pilot?"

Tyss smiles, "Because there's three of the letter T in my name when written out in Federation standard. Callsigns usually come from silly things like that. And yes, that's right. I assume you're looking to get into the Command path, which is why we've been paired together?"

Kayleigh "Well, I am working towards a command path, yes. I have insufficient information available though to comment on whether or not that is the reason we have been paired"

Tyss: "Piloting is a command position. I usually fly shuttles or runabouts; since the Saturn's basically a mobile space station, our small craft are very important for both regular operation and tactical situations. I think there's a lot you can learn, even if you aren't planning to specialize in piloting. And don't worry, I'm sure they'll get you some bridge shifts too."

Kayleigh "That would be prudent since I have only carried out tactical training thus far. But as you say, this will provide fresh insight into an area not yet fully explored"

Tyss: "And if we do run into any situations, it's the shuttles and runabouts at the forefront of things usually, since the Saturn's more of a support ship. So your tactical training would come in handy there! Not that I'm hoping you get that much excitement on a training cruise, but you know what they say. No experience like field experience."

Kayleigh "Yes, fleet coordination is definitely a big part of it. As I keep hearing so fondly from our classmate working on the development project where they are making a big thing out of it"

Tyss: "That's our role on this mission! And is this the development project in the Sphere that everyone's been talking about?"

Kayleigh nods, "Yes, one of our classmates has been working on it in her spare time since they are implementing some concepts she worked with on the Valley Forge"

Tyss: "Sounds like that classmate is certainly taking no experience like field experience to the next level."

Kayleigh "She began her cadet training whilst on the Valley Forge, so field experience was already significant before she joined us"

Another officer in a red-striped uniform steps into the lounge, but this one wears the pips of a full Commander. She seems to be a relatively unremarkable Children species at a glance, easily passing for a human. She steps over to the cadets, looking across them before approaching Mari, "Cadet Tanglao?"

Mariel "That's me."

The commander smiles, offering a hand, "Commander Meghan Suren, First Officer. You'll be with me."

Mariel shakes her hand before widening her eyes, "Nice to meet you...First Officer?" She glances to Kay, then back to Meghan. "Are you sure there hasn't been a mixup? Kay's the one on the Command track."

Kayleigh looks between the two, "Unusual, but a direct mixup is unlikely unless the sciences now include piloting"

Meghan: "Oh there's hasn't been a mixup. I was reviewing your files for this training cruise, and when I saw Cadet Tanglao's, I knew I had to get myself assigned to her personally."

Kayleigh "It will be a good experience for you Mari"

Mariel nods, "I'm sure it will be! I have to admit I'm curious why me specifically though. Were you a science officer with similar specialties once?"

Meghan: "No. I've dabbled in the sciences before, but I was actually in Stellar Cartography during my stint in the Science department with Starfleet. Most of my time with Starfleet was actually spent in Operations."

Mariel looks to Kay, curious to see if she had a logical reason for this assignment

Kayleigh "I have no prior knowledge of the Commander to gauge the decision from, but if it is not a connection to your professional pursuits then logically it is personal. Since you do not seem familiar with her either, the most likely is an interest in your retrocognition"

Meghan smiles, "One can always count on a Vulcan to make a logical deduction. Like most of my people, I have a natural gift for precognition, but over my centuries of travelling I can count with only my fingers the number of people with retrocognition that I've encountered."

Mariel "Centuries of travelling and natural precognition...you're El-Aurian, aren't you, Commander?

Meghan: "And there's your biology studies coming into play."

Mariel "It'll be an honour to shadow someone as experienced as you, Commander."

Meghan chuckles, "An El-Aurian's visual appearance usually reflects our maturity better than our age in years. I'm not as impressive as you might think, but I do hope I can be of even a little help with mastering your rare gift."

As Mari and Kay speak with their assigned officers, a Vulcan female with a gold-striped uniform and Lieutenant pips steps over to Shavi, "You must be Cadet Shavinnia."

Shavi turns and smiles brightly, "That's me! Are you my assigned buddy, Lieutenant?"

Vulcan: "That is correct, though I am uncertain of the informal choice of terminology. I am Lieutenant T'Saari, Beta Shift Bridge Operations Officer."

Shavi: "It's great to meet you! I'm really excited to learn more about what the role entails"

T'Saari: "You are a Communications specialist, yes?"

Shavi nods proudly, "That I am! Well, at least that's the plan. Not sure I could really call myself a specialist yet" she chuckles, "Maybe more of a skilled enthusiast...?"

T'Saari nods, "On a larger vessel like the Saturn, there are multiple Operations stations and you will likely begin with something more specialized, such as managing communications in particular. Since you are skilled in that, it would be the logical place for you to start when we are on the bridge. Do not worry though, I will show you plenty of the other duties performed by Operations personnel."

Shavi smiles, "That sounds great! I can't wait to get started"

A human male also in a gold-striped uniform and Lieutenant pips steps in next, heading over to Natalya, "Hey Chief. I'm assigned to a Cadet Kerafar."

Natalya, "Hello Lieutenant. I think I saw him somewhere around here..." she looks around

Kayleigh taps her on the shoulder and points across the room to Kerafar sitting quietly in the corner

Natalya smiles, "Aha! Thank you Cadet. There you go Lieutenant, that's him right over there. Sitting in the corner... all alone... ahem Good lu- I mean, have fun!"

The Lieutenant looks to Kerafar and then back to Nat, "Right...thank you Chief."

He steps over to Kerafar, "Cadet Kerafar? Lieutenant Imran Soltani. You'll be shadowing me." He offers his hand to Kerafar

Kerafar springs up to a rigid attention, "S-Sir! I'm Cadet Kerafar- wait, you knew that already... Um, Thank you Sir! Wait, thank you...?" he sighs and slumps a little

Imran chuckles, "Relax Cadet. Don't think of me as a superior officer if it helps, but just a fellow engineer on an engineering ship."

Kerafar, "I'll try Sir. Oh! The hand... sorry!" he quickly reaches out to take the extended hand, but knocks over his drink in the process which splashes across Imran's uniform

Kerafar gives a horrified gasp, "Oh no... I'm so sorry Sir!"

Imran: "What did I say about not being so tense..." he smiles. "Don't worry about it. I've already finished my duty shift, and it's not like we're on replicator rations so I can easily just replicate another when I get back to quarters."

Kerafar slumps back into his chair, "But they say you can't make more than one first impression... I spent all day rehearsing this and I just ruined it..."

Imran: "Wait, you were rehersing this all day?"

Kerafar nods, "Yes. Well, not on the shuttle obviously. There were others around then"

Imran sighs and shakes his head, "Looks like I'll be showing you more than just Engineering tricks on this training cruise. Anyways, you'll love the Saturn. There's plenty of ships in the fleet dedicated to Engineering specific operations, but this one is something special."

Kerafar nods, "Yes, I read up and it is quite the impression vessel! Almost 1400m long and over 31m mT with a complement of 3500!"

Kerafar just found the exit to his shell...

Imran smiles, "That's right, and not mentioning the hangar bays either which are essentially miniature drydocks. Has the Chief shown you around there yet?"

Kerafar nods and smiles, "Yes! We saw the QanwI' docked there before and have plans to go back there some other time to see more of the maintenance work being done on it too!

Imran: "Don't worry, you'll be seeing it in action plenty with me."

Kerafar, "I am eager to learn Sir"

Meanwhile, Miklos looks around as everyone else seems to have been partnered up already. He steps up to Nat, "Is my buddy late, or was there a mistake and someone forgot to assign me?"

Natalya smiles, "Don't worry Cadet, there has been no mistake" she extends her hand, "Chief Natalya Simpatichnaya, pleased to meet you Cadet. I will be your buddy for the duration of your time here!"

Kayleigh turns and watches

Miklos looks from Nat to her hand then back to Nat, "Wait...you're my buddy?"

Natalya, "Indeed I am!"

Miklos: "I thought we were getting paired with, you know, officers. For bridge duty and things."

Natalya, "Yes, that's right"

Miklos: "But you're a non-commissioned officer. You don't work the bridge, do you?"

Tyss glances over from beside Kayleigh, "I don't usually work bridge shifts, either."

Kayleigh "Well a non-commissioned officer is still an officer"

Kayleigh turns to Tyss, "But you're in command, right? And since you're assigned as my 'buddy' on that premise, I assume that means you have sufficient experience there to coach a cadet?"

Natalya smiles at Miklos, "See, and yes I do work bridge shifts at times. You will also be working some with other officers. But it was decided that the best experience for you would be to let you work with people in different fields, since security can cross into all other areas of a ship. And nobody knows those areas like the NCO's"

Tyss: "Oh yes, I was just sticking up for the Chief there," he smiles. "Not that she can't do it herself, but..."

Miklos: "Right." He hesitantly shakes Nat's hand. "Just isn't quite what I expected..."

Natalya smiles, "That is often part of the experience we must learn to adapt to in service on a starship"

Kayleigh meanwhile looks to Tyss again, "But... you do have actual command experience I assume?"

Tyss: "Of course. I've commanded plenty of runabout missions."

Kayleigh "I see. Well I have not done any of those yet so I am sure it will be interesting to see"

—

With everyone paired up, the evening moves on with the cadets getting to know their new partners

Kayleigh & Tyss are now sitting at some sofas with some of the others where she still seems to be assessing him

Kayleigh "So how many missions have you commanded now?"

Tyss: "Well technically, every time I'm the main pilot of a shuttle or runabout, I'm in command of the auxiliary craft. But I'm assuming you mean taking the lead of a whole squadron."

Kayleigh "Assuming those are the examples you referred to as your command experience"

Tyss: "Well I've led a squadron I think...five times now. And one ground mission where I was the highest ranking officer that landed."

Kayleigh "Oh yes? What sort of mission was it?"

Tyss: "It was a survey mission on that Dyson ring we discovered."

Kayleigh "Of course, a survey mission. I have done a couple of those as well, it might be interesting to compare notes"

Tyss: "You've done them inside the Sphere, I take it?"

Kayleigh "Yes, there are constant surveys ongoing there as the region is explored. Those are not the only missions I take though, of course"

Tyss: "It might have some similarities to what we did on the ring. I don't suppose you're familiar with that expedition?"

Kayleigh shakes her head

Tyss: "I'll show you the reports sometime, you might be interested. But the basics of it is that we found a dyson ring built around a star. We thought it was Iconian at first, but it turns out the ring was built by a species that came to power after the Iconian collapse and it was built in imitation of the Iconian Spheres but on a more manageable scale for a less powerful civilization."

Kayleigh perks a brow, "Fascinating, that would indeed be interesting to study"

Meghan: "Ah, Captain." The XO stands and turns and Kayleigh realizes that Captain Snow himself had entered the lounge and was making his way over to where the cadets were gathered

Kayleigh stands as well, following her lead

Mariel also stands and turns to the Captain

Snow: "No need to stand on attention for me, Cadets. I heard this was an informal gathering, wasn't it?"

Kayleigh "Thank you Captain" she returns to her seat

Mariel sits down as well

Captain Snow takes a seat opposite Kayleigh and Tyss, "So, what were we talking about here? Anything interesting?"

Kayleigh "The Lieutenant was just telling us about one of the away missions he led"

Captain Snow: "Oh? Which one was that?"

Tyss: "One of the survey missions onto the ring."

Kayleigh "The Dyson Ring"

Snow: "Oh right. That happened at around the same time that the Heart was rediscovered out here. One of the reasons we're a bit late to this party. We were studying the ring and everything there for a good while, and with the Nuhar Foundries in the Heart, there wasn't much need for a dedicated Engineering repair ship anyways."

Kayleigh "It sounds quite the curious discovery"

Snow: "That it certainly was. We thought it was Iconian at first, it had many similarities to Iconian Sphere design and even integrated no small amount of salvaged Iconian technology. We were curious why it didn't have any gateway systems that activated along with the rest of the network though. Turns out the ring wasn't built by the Iconians at all, just a civilization trying to recreate what the Iconians made."

Kayleigh "I am only familiar with the Heart but we have already learned a lot about other associated species here"

Snow nods, "I hear the Heart was built as a collaborative project between the Iconians, Nuhar and other species active on the rim at the time, right?"

Kayleigh "Yes Captain, that's correct. And in it's capacity as a genetic ark, many of these species remain preserved. As the Iconians recover their numbers, more of these become viable to be reintroduced. It is possible that even includes the architects of the your Dyson Ring"

Snow: "That's certainly a possibility. One of the things we'll have to look into as part of the resettlement project."

Kayleigh "I believe I recall hearing that some of the OSN specialists are focusing their search on identifying homeworlds of species who may be recoverable from those archives"

Snow: "I suppose they're the ones to talk to about the makers of the ring, then. Thank you for the information, Cadet..."

Kayleigh perks a brow, uncertain how to read his tone at the end there

Snow: "Oh I was just trying to figure out your name. You're not Cadet T'Pia, are you?"

Kayleigh shakes her head, "No Sir, T'Pia is on next years' rotation. I am Cadet Kayleigh"

Snow: "Right. I think I remember coming across your file. You're also half-Vulcan, aren't you?"

Kayleigh "Yes Captain"

Snow smiles, "Part of the club, then."

Kayleigh tilts her head, "No, I do not believe so Sir. T'Pia does not frequent any of the clubs"

Snow chuckles, "Not quite what I mean. I'm half human and half Vulcan too, so we're part of the same club, so to speak." He narrows his eyes, "But I can't help but notice you say /T'Pia/ doesn't frequent any of the clubs. Not yourself."

Kayleigh "That is because I frequent a number of establishments at the Heart as part of an ongoing social study case into the evolving subcultures of the multi-species environment that is forming there. It has proven to be a valid source of reliable information on current affairs as well, in fact it is where I learned of the OSN's role in this mission since the Tabadi always speaks with exaggerated pride on any of their endeavours"

Snow: "Interesting social study. Well, there's no place like a busy club to observe all kinds of people."

Kayleigh nods, "That was my conclusion as well. Although there are other settings which provide their own form of insight too"

Snow: "Lounges like this one are pretty good for it, too."

Kayleigh "I will keep that in mind for my time here"

—

The day after the reception, Kayleigh is called to one of the Saturn's shuttle hangars to meet with Tyss once again. The shuttle hangar is not quite as large as the one Natalya had shown them which contained the QanwI', and is more comparable to the hangar of a typical large cruiser. Inside are multiple different types of shuttle and runabout

Kayleigh looks around on arrival

Kayleigh spots Tyss by one of the shuttles, inspecting it as several green-shouldered crewmen load supplies onto it

Kayleigh makes her way over, "Reporting for duty"

Tyss turns from the shuttle, "Just in time, Cadet. You'll be my co-pilot for this mission."

Kayleigh "What is the mission?"

Tyss: "Basic transport. We've arrived at our first destination for the resettlement efforts. There's some supplies that can't be handled by cargo transporters because the materials themselves interfere with the technology, so we're just flying it down to the surface."

Kayleigh "Understood. Do the materials in question have any special handling requirements?"

Tyss: "Nope. They're not hazardous at all, just can't be beamed down with transporters."

Kayleigh "Very well then" she looks around, "I assume you are conducting preflight checks presently?"

Tyss nods, "Everything looks good on the exterior. Let's head on in. I'll let you run the system checks from inside. Show me what you can do, Cadet."

Kayleigh "Right... so I don't actually do any engineering courses. If the checks involve asking the computer to do them, I'm good. But if there's anything more... I am unfamiliar with the requirements"

Tyss: "Nothing to worry about, Cadet. You just have to get the computer to run the diagnostics and compare them with the optimal numbers, which you can pull up from the database."

Kayleigh "That sounds manageable" she nods, taking a seat, "Computer, begin diagnostics"

The computer begins to run its diagnostics and the status of various systems start showing up one by one

Kayleigh runs through her checks against the database optimals

The results all come back within the optimal range with the exception of long-range sensors, which seems to have lower than recommended power, while maneuvering thrusters have been turned up

Kayleigh hrms, "It appears your shuttle requires further correctional work before it can be used. According to this diagnostic, your long range sensors have insufficient power whilst the maneuvering thrusters have too much routed to them. Power regulators may be a likely cause, but I can correct it manually for now if I am reading this correctly" she reaches over to correct the imbalance

Tyss: "No, leave it. I don't think it's a power regulator issue."

Kayleigh hesitates before tapping the control and looks to him

Tyss smiles, "One of the first things you need to learn about command is which rules to follow and which can be bent a little bit."

Kayleigh "You are implying that this error is a command decision to 'bend a rule'?"

Tyss nods, "Our Deck Chief is known to adjust things based on specific mission profiles. For what we're doing, we don't need long-range sensors. We have a whole fleet with us, including science ships with better sensor systems that a shuttle can ever have room to be installed with. As long as our comms are online, we'll have all the sensor data we need. But in former Horde territory, we've been told there's a lot of debris, especially around habitable planets."

Kayleigh "Hence diverting power to maneuvering thrusters instead of holding it in reserve" she nods, sitting back in her seat, "A logical assessment"

Tyss: "Exactly. I'm glad you see the logic in it. Technically, a shuttle is supposed to have all systems in the green zone except under emergency situations when sacrificing power to one system is absolutely necessary. But because shuttles are deployed for specific missions, often with bigger ships close by for support, sometimes a specialized distribution like this can be a good idea.

Kayleigh "I would expect nothing less than such superior knowledge from the deck chief of a ship like this"

Tyss: "That's why it's a good idea to trust his judgement and keep everything as they are. You got any experience in copiloting, Cadet?"

Kayleigh "Technically, yes. But in practice that really just involved me riding along while someone else piloted the shuttle"

Tyss: "What about ship systems? You've done training for bridge duty, right?"

Kayleigh nods, "Correct. I have a basic understanding across the board, just limited field experience to other specialized fields"

Tyss takes a seat in the pilot's chair, "That's perfect, actually."

Kayleigh perks a brow, "It is?"

Tyss: "Yeah. On a bridge, you've got a lot of officers each responsible for one specific station. For smaller ships some roles are often combined- Operations and Communications, Tactical and Security and so on, but you've still got a good few people on the bridge crew. For a shuttle or runabout, it's usually just two people- pilot and copilot. Sometimes if you're carrying other officers on a mission, they'll help out wherever their skills lend them to, but generally you have to juggle a lot more than a bridge officer. Of course, shuttle systems aren't as complex as a large starship's, but a general knowledge across the board is usually a better skill than specialized knowledge in one department."

Kayleigh "A sound premise, yes. There are clear benefits to honing ones skills in this environment"

—

Mariel steps out of the lift and onto the bridge during one of Meghan's shifts in command of the bridge

Mariel stands at attention

Mariel "Cadet Tanglao reporting for duty."

Meghan smiles, "At ease Cadet, and welcome to the bridge"

Mariel relaxes her stance a bit, "Thank you, Commander. I assume I'll be at one of the Science stations while I'm here? Or are the bridge shifts a separate thing and I'm just here to observe?"

Meghan:"You will have dedicated bridge shifts along with your classmates. For now, why don't you come take a seat and tell me more about this ability of yours"

Mariel steps up to the centre of the bridge, "Take a seat...here?" She looks to the third seat in the bridge centre

Meghan chuckles, "Well unless you want to play Captain already. Don't worry, I won't tell him if you don't" she winks, "But yes, we keep that seat for visitors and that is very much you right now"

Mariel "Right," she takes a seat and looks around. "Feels weird, being in the centre of a big bridge. Like I'm playing Captain already..."

Meghan:"Is this your first time on an active bridge?"

Mariel shakes her head, "No, I've been on active bridges before. Even big ones, like the Courageous. Just usually at a station and not the very middle. Kind of daunting here, like you're in charge of it all," she chuckles

Meghan:"That's because the people in charge do sit down here. You might be focused on your scientific studies for now, but even if you do not hold aspirations to command, it is good for you see how things operate from a commanders perspective sometimes"

Mariel nods, "Always better to know a bit about everyone else's jobs because we all work together and all."

Meghan:"Very much so, yes. Which is part of what you're all doing here. But understanding the dynamic of a bridge from the Captain's perspective can help you in your own role too, you know"

Mariel "Right," she glances around again. "In this case, from the Captain's perspective literally."

Meghan:"Exactly, yes. Do you know why Starfleet - and so many others - lay their bridges out like this, with the Captain in the centre?"

Mariel "I think there's a few reasons. It's the best place for the whole bridge to hear you, it's symbolic and it lets the captain face the viewscreen directly. And probably a few others I overlooked.

Meghan nods, "All correct, yes. But in this sense at least what we're interested in is the communication. Not just for everyone around the Captain to hear him, but for him to everyone around him. You said you've been on a bridge before, but I don't imagine that was during a crisis situation, right?"

Mariel "Well, one of them wasn't /supposed/ to be a crisis situation. And then things happened. And because of that we, Cadet Kayleigh and I that is, were actually requested to advise on another ship when a similar crisis happened again..."

Meghan tilts her head slightly, "...huh. Well yes, it's good then that you have some understanding of what it can be like. But now imagine such a situation here, on an extremely large bridge like this" she looks to the front, "If your helmsman or navigator need to get your attention, it is as easy as turning around and making eye contact. But-" she turns to look at those behind them on the raised stations, "- if you are working back there - say monitoring sensors - and you need to urgently make the captain aware of something in the midst of a crisis, not quite so easy is it"

Mariel glances back too, "That's true..."

Meghan:"And typically, those who choose a scientific path tend to be quite soft spoken, even introverted a lot of the time. Yet those in fields like tactical and engineering are often louder characters. That is why you will often see science officers positioning themselves more forwards on a bridge even though they do not normally require it for their duties. So you see, when looking at a bridge from the Captains perspective, you gain insight into how to conduct yourself here. Right down to where you work" she smiles, "Thus concludes todays lesson! Now tell me about your abilities"

—

Mariel "Well, you seem familiar with how retrocognition works in general, right?"

Meghan:"I am aware of the principle, yes. Unlike most abilities, you typically require an external catalyst of sorts, correct?"

Mariel nods, "Yeah. The difficult thing for me is controlling that catalyst. Sometimes visions can trigger by being in the right place or seeing something that brings it on. Other times I try to get them intentionally, but it doesn't always work."

Meghan nods, "I am not surprised given the reliance on environmental conditions. Have you considered creating or using something as a catalyst to better control these intentional attempts"

Mariel "Well, the catalyst usually needs some connection to the vision I'm trying to trigger, so I don't think I can just create something. But I can often find things which help trigger the vision. Like an item belonging to a person I'm trying to get a vision about."

Meghan:"Perhaps. But with time and training, it may be possible to hone yourself to that point. I remember an old Saurian seer I once spent time with. He did not have your ability, but more common precognition with a strong empathic vibe. Like you however, his visions were most pertinent when focused heavily on the thought of someone or something else. However since this was not always available to him, he had a talisman" she chuckles, "Silly as it may sound, it actually helped him a lot. You see, it was actually made from an heirloom that held great personal meaning to him. So when he struggled to obtain a desired vision of a third party, he would focus on obtaining a vision first through his talisman and then channeling that towards his desired target. Perhaps the same could be applied of your ability; use something like that talisman to trigger a personal vision, and then once you have it learn to direct that vision to who or where you are actually seeking"

Mariel "If only I knew that before my trip to Earth!" she chuckles. "Could've picked up an heirloom or something then."

Meghan smiles, "It might take a while to hone yourself to that point, if it is even possible! But I think it is definitely worth exploring. And who knows, if you can hone yourself to use a talisman even if not to trigger visions, perhaps you can use one to centre yourself and avoid unwanted ones more easily"

Mariel "That would be helpful. It's mainly avoiding unwanted visions that I've been training to control. That training involves learning to consciously trigger visions when I want instead of when I don't want them too. It's nice to be able to get visions when I want, but controlling unwanted visions is more important since it can actually interfere with other things."

Meghan nods, "I can imagine, yes. Well maybe this will be helpful in furthering your training then"

Mariel "I think it might! Thank you for the suggestion, Commander," she smiles. "Now I just have to find a fitting talisman..."

Meghan:"Perhaps in time, a fitting one will find you"

Mariel "That's a possibility I haven't considered..."

Meghan chuckles, "You are still young cadet, don't be unfair on yourself by expecting to have all the answers already"

Mariel "Well, thanks for helping me along! I think your advice will be pretty helpful."

Meghan:"I am no esoteric, but I have been around the galaxy a few times. Half the fun in gaining all that experience is sharing it!"

Mariel nods, "No point keeping it all to yourself! I'm glad you decided to share it with me, though."

Meghan:"So what sort of experiences do you typically have with your ability?"

Mariel "I see things happening in the past like they're happening now. How far in the past depends, I've had visions for everything from what happened a few minutes ago to ancient Iconians. I think whatever has the strongest emotions attached to it is usually what I get, or the easiest to get at least. I don't think the actual passage of time plays any factor at all."

Meghan:"Wow, to actually see ancient Iconia with your own eyes... marvellous! And what of the sensation? Do you always have a strong sense of self in these visions, like you know straight away that's what it is? Or does it feel exactly like everything is normal and comes down to observation to surmise that it's a vision?"

Mariel "I haven't been to Iconia itself yet, but I've seen visions of Iconians inside the Heart. And it depends on the vision. Most of the time it's superimposed onto the world around me, so if it's something like ancient Iconians or old Earth soldiers, I know I'm looking at a vision from the past and not something going on today. But if it's a vision from a few minutes or days ago, I can mistake it for right now. Like I could see a vision of your Captain walking in, and think he's actually on the bridge."

Meghan:"Oh my, that must be quite troublesome"

Mariel "Exactly why I want to control unwanted visions from popping up."

—

Back in the shuttle, Kayleigh receives the authorization to launch on her copilot's console

Kayleigh "There. We are cleared to launch"

Tyss: "Perfect. Beginning launch process now." He adeptly taps away at his console and the shuttle soon begins to lift off

Kayleigh quietly watches the view

As the shuttle emerges from the hangar, the view of a planet with a small and very thin ring comes into view. Several other Starfleet ships can be seen around them, the nearest of which is a Pathfinder in orbit of the planet they are headed towards

Tyss: "Nothing quite like the view out of a shuttle huh Cadet. It's a lot more personal than watching things out of a viewscreen on the bridge."

Kayleigh "It is the exact same view though?"

Tyss: "Yeah, but it's just...you feel like you're more in the middle of it all when in a shuttle. Not sure if there's a logical explanation to it. Maybe because there's less space between you and, well...space."

Kayleigh perks a brow and looks back out, "I see" obviously not seeing the poetic intent

Tyss: "Well you have to agree it is a good view..."

Kayleigh "The planets rotation and angle of the sun do make for an ambient setting"

Tyss taps his console some more, "And the view just got a little more sinister..."

As they near the planet, Kayleigh can see that the thin ring around the planet was not composed of rocks, but instead various sorts of bent and misshappen metallic debris, most likely from some kind of planetary defense system, though the wrecks of some starships or identifiable parts of starships such as nacelles can be made out as well

Kayleigh hrms, "A disturbing reminder of the history to this place"

Tyss: "At least it looks like the debris's been pulled into a ring by the planet's gravity, so we don't have to dodge and weave through a whole field. Surface is still a mess in some places, but our LZ is clear. Think other ships have cleaned up there, I see temporary structures set up and Coalition comm beacons."

Kayleigh "So right now this world is being cleaned up by the Coalition before bringing any population back to it"

Tyss: "Cleaned up, rebuilt and replanted is my understanding. The Coalition's using the archives from the Sphere you're based in to completely restore these planets, not just clear out the debris but actually try to return things to the way they were before the Horde came along. That's what I'm hearing, at least."

Kayleigh nods, "That is my understanding also. But I believe some worlds have pockets of surviving populations, or hastily resettled refugees to contend with as well"

Tyss glances down at his console again as they begin to enter the atmosphere, "Doesn't look like it's the case here. Briefing doesn't mention it and sensors are clear of any unexpected lifesigns.

Kayleigh "That seemed to be the case from your initial description. Much less likelihood of unforeseen circumstances, good"

Tyss nods, "It should be a fairly routine transport run. Another thing about command- all the exciting missions you study about at the Academy, they're generally the exception and not the rule. More often than not you'll be doing regular business like this. Not every day in Starfleet's going to be adrenaline and action. Even I wouldn't be able to keep up with that," he chuckles

Kayleigh hrms, "You say that, but since transferring out to this region I have learned that even the mundane can take an obscure twist. More often than not in my experience too"

Tyss: "I did hear this region was more eventful than most. DSEC in general, to be honest. One of my classmates from back when I was in the Academy is assigned to the Enterprise, and I can hardly believe half the stories he messages me about. If there weren't actual reports to prove it, I'd swear he was making most of them up."

Kayleigh "I get the exact same reaction when I tell others of my own experiences here"

Tyss: "Must've had quite an eventful experience already out here then, despite only starting out."

Kayleigh "Several of them to be accurate"

Tyss: "Wow. Definitely quite eventful out here, then. Let's hope this cargo run doesn't turn into anything too unexpected, but it's always good to be prepared just in case."

Kayleigh "That has been my conclusion too, and a reasonable justification for attending an academy out here"

The shuttle broke cloud cover now, revealing the blasted wasteland landscape beneath them

Tyss: "So you're out for adventure, huh?"

Kayleigh "Not at all. I simply acknowledge that the breadth of experience gained here over a comparative time at San Francisco where I did my first year does seem to make it a more beneficial option, despite my early reservations"

Tyss: "And here I thought that was why Nat assigned us together," he chuckles

Kayleigh "For adventure? But you said before that this is a simple routine assignment. I sense a contradiction"

Tyss: "Oh /this/ is a routine assignment. I don't think anyone knows when you'll run into adventure out here. I mean that we might both enjoy a little adventure from time to time."

Kayleigh "And that happens on these shuttle runs, in your experience?"

Tyss: "Definitely. Big ships like the Saturn don't usually have a problem with pirates and such. Even though it's not actually heavily armed at all for its size, people see a ship that big and think twice about messing with it. Shuttles and runabouts don't usually have that luxury. Of course that kind of risk only comes with long range missions, with the fleet just in orbit we'll be perfectly fine."

Down below, Kayleigh catches view of a small temporary outpost in the distance now. Her comms receive a ping confirming that they are clear to land

Kayleigh peers out, "It has also been my experience that when people say something will be 'perfectly fine', it tends to end up being the exact opposite"

—

Later on in the shift, things are all running like clockwork on the bridge with Mari picking up more about the life of an XO

Meghan hands her yet another PADD, "And see here, we have to make sure that the department heads are kept apprised of all these requests and manage the resource allocation to avoid disruptions"

Mariel takes the PADD, looking it over with a nod, "It's certainly a busy job!"

Meghan chuckles, "It takes a certain administrative type, that is for certain. But of course this is just to look after the shipboard daily-"

CMDR Wu speaks up, "Commander, we're now getting updated survey data from the surface"

Meghan glances back, "Thank you" and turns to Mari, "Would you like to join the Commander in something a little more scientific?"

Mariel nods and chuckles, "That's probably a little more my area of expertise than XO business."

Meghan smiles, "Of course, best get to it then. Don't want to miss out"

Mariel makes her way over to Wu's console, "What's new with the survey data, Commander?"

Wu has the fresh data scrolling on a terminal, "Well cadet, the provisional survey was conducted by long range probe only. An automated unit was despatched to establish a ground operations point, but beyond that we have not yet had a real look at this world. Now the fleet has settled in orbit, we have been able to conduct a more thorough planetary analysis"

Mariel nods, looking at the data, "Right."

Wu, "I assume you are familiar with the essentials of this type of survey now. But what we're really interested in right now is any kind of discrepancy between this survey and the original one, since that preliminary long range survey was used to identify key locations to establish key sites at"

Mariel "That I am! I'll cross-reference the surveys, always helpful to have more pairs of eyes on things like this."

Wu nods, "There are key elements which should stand out; regions of seismic instability, elevated radiation, even extreme meteorological conditions and temperatures"

Mariel nods and starts comparing the two surveys, keeping an eye out for the elements the Commander mentioned

—

Meanwhile, Tyss & Kay have touched down on the surface and are in the process of liaising with the ground team on unloading and distributing their cargo

Well, Tyss is. Kay is mostly just quietly observing again

Kayleigh - seeing that she is rather supurfluous right now - starts looking around at the wider camp

A Tellarite enlisted with gold shoulders steps over to Kay, "Looking for something, Cadet?"

Kayleigh shakes her head, "No, just... well, looking. It is the first time I have visited a site like this, so I am attempting to learn what I can through observation"

Tellarite: "Site like this as in a camp in the field, or a ruined planet like this one?"

Kayleigh "I have certainly not been to a ruined world like this before, but I was thinking more in terms of this being the initial operations site for the rebuilding efforts here. Such a mission has many unfamiliar criteria so I am curious as to how that is reflected from the setup"

Tellarite: "I was involved in some of the reconstruction efforts after the Iconian War, but nothing to this scale. It's new ground for all of us."

Kayleigh "But I assume there are established practices and methods brought over from such reconstructions as those?"

Tellarite: "That there are. Plenty of it has to be adjusted for this though. We're not just cleaning up rubble and rebuilding damaged and destroyed infrastructure. We're practically rebuilding whole planets, down to the ecosystem. Starfleet's restored planets devastated by war and fixed damaged ecosystems, but never both at once for entire planets and civilizations. We're writing the guidebook as we go here."

Kayleigh "Which is exactly why I am looking to learn about the process. What sort of special considerations have come into play already?"

Tellarite: "There's a few things. The Science people have to try and figure out where would be safe to rebuild by guessing what the ecosystem might be like when everything's done. And they only have the geography to do that so I hear it's a lot of guesswork."

Kayleigh "Is that because the previous population centres are too unsuitable to repurpose?"

Tellarite: "Partly. Previous population centres aren't always built on a place that's ideal for a modern city. Especially if it's a species' homeworld. You see, a lotta cities have long histories, growing out of old farming villages and such. Which means the city's actually sitting on really lush land that's more ideal for natural growth."

Kayleigh "I see, so are there any special criteria to determine where a city should go, besides ruling out places it should not?"

Tellarite: "One of the things we're trying to figure out. The preferences of the settlers is the main thing, probably."

Kayleigh "That makes sense. Are the settlers in this case the indigenous species, or from another world entirely?"

Tellarite: "They're from here from what I heard. This civilization's one of the ones that had survivors from the Horde."

Kayleigh "Well we are at the fleets first stop, which means this was the closest affected world to the Heart so logically it would be least impacted by Horde presence and have a greater likelihood for survivors. Do you know if any representatives from this species are present here for this decision making?"

Tellarite: "If they are, none have come down to the surface yet. Haven't seen any species I don't recognize around the camp."

Kayleigh "Unfortunate, but not unexpected. I imagine the power that be are playing it extra safe with this one"

Tellarite: "Probably. Surface isn't in the best of conditions yet," he gestures around. "As you can see."

Kayleigh looks around and nods, noting that Tyss is still busy dealing with his cargo, "Well, since I am here and apparently at a loose end, is there anything I might do to assist?"

Tellarite: "Oh plenty, if you don't have duties of your own to tend to. Could put that Vulcan strength of yours to work, if you're up for it."

Kayleigh "I will oblige if I am able"

Tellarite: "Right this way, then!" He turns to lead the way

While Kayleigh busies herself by assisting the Tellarite to move equipment around - unwittingly exercising one of the finer points of leadership in engaging with junior staff and gaining local knowledge - she glances up at the sky as she sets a crate down, noting the distant rumbling of thunder.