Yesterday, 02:15 AM
(This post was last modified: Yesterday, 02:27 AM by Morad Ameen.)
The bridge was humming with a new kind of energy – not the tense quiet of waiting for a crisis, but the productive buzz of a crew with a clear, if unusual, set of tasks. Ameen listened to Commander Keir's latest report, hir praise for Lieutenant Ra'an's work on the dinner preparations bringing a flicker of warmth to his chest.
Good. They're working well together, he thought. Keir sees it too. Amila's really stepping up. He felt a familiar sense of pride in her, one he quickly masked with his command demeanor.
"Thank you for the update, Commander," Ameen said, giving Keir a nod of appreciation. "It's good to hear the preparations are coming along smoothly. It seems that Lieutenant Ra'an has a knack for that sort of thing." He paused, considering Keir's question. "For now, there's nothing else I need from you directly. Just maintain your oversight of the crew in general and of course Engineering in particular."
Powl and Ra'an are coordinating, Keir is managing the overall effort, Gath is handling our... guest... and O'Fee is handling the medical emergency. The team is functioning well...
With his department heads managing their assignments, Ameen turned his attention to his own responsibilities. It was time to report in. He'd been given this command by Fleet Captain Vakir, and she deserved an update, however strange the details were. He tapped his command chair's console.
"Ameen to Petty Officer Jensen."
A moment later, his yeoman's voice came back, crisp and clear over the comm. [Jensen here, Commander. Go ahead.]
"Hannah," Morad began, "I need you to draft a priority message to Fleet Captain Vakir at Deep Space Nine. Subject: Mission Update, USS Zephyr. Body of the message should state the following: We have arrived at Trill and made contact with Ambassador Vel Junde. We have received our principal, Mediator Kestir. However," he chose his next words carefully, "there has been an unexpected change in the specific nature of our VIP. The original host, Aed'na Tlapo, passed away just prior to our arrival. The Kestir symbiont was successfully transferred to a new host, C'had. This new host required an urgent, time-sensitive medical evaluation upon beaming aboard, which is currently underway in our Sickbay under Doctor O'Fee's supervision. As a result, our departure from Trill has been rocky and slow as we wait for medical to clear the VIP. All ship's systems are green and the crew is performing well. End report."
He paused. "Draft that and send it to my personal PADD for final review before transmission. And Hannah," he added, "mark the file for my eyes only."
[Aye, Commander. Drafting now,] she replied.
Ameen cut the channel. That should cover it. No need to go into C'had's... personality... just the facts. Vakir needs to know why we're delayed. Now, all that was left was to wait for the most important update of all...
He looked at the chronometer and noticed that almost an hour had passed since Mediator Kestir had been escorted to Sickbay. An hour of the bridge crew working diligently on their new assignments, the initial shock settling into a low-grade, simmering tension. Ameen had reviewed half a dozen routine reports on his console, but his mind wasn't on them. It was on Deck 3.
Enough waiting, he decided, pushing aside a report on atmospheric condenser efficiency. The entire mission to Veld and Taveres, everything, hinges on what's happening in Sickbay right now. I need to know...
He leaned forward in his command chair and tapped the comm panel.
"Ameen to Doctor O'Fee." He waited a beat for the channel to open, his expression serious. "Doctor, I apologize for the interruption if you're in the middle of a delicate procedure, but I need a preliminary report on Mediator Kestir. What is his immediate condition? Is the symbiont stable in the new host?"
He kept his finger near the comm panel, waiting for her response.
Come on, Doc. Give me some good news...
The fate of two planets, and the immediate future of the Zephyr's mission, depended on what she said next...
== Tag ==
Good. They're working well together, he thought. Keir sees it too. Amila's really stepping up. He felt a familiar sense of pride in her, one he quickly masked with his command demeanor.
"Thank you for the update, Commander," Ameen said, giving Keir a nod of appreciation. "It's good to hear the preparations are coming along smoothly. It seems that Lieutenant Ra'an has a knack for that sort of thing." He paused, considering Keir's question. "For now, there's nothing else I need from you directly. Just maintain your oversight of the crew in general and of course Engineering in particular."
Powl and Ra'an are coordinating, Keir is managing the overall effort, Gath is handling our... guest... and O'Fee is handling the medical emergency. The team is functioning well...
With his department heads managing their assignments, Ameen turned his attention to his own responsibilities. It was time to report in. He'd been given this command by Fleet Captain Vakir, and she deserved an update, however strange the details were. He tapped his command chair's console.
"Ameen to Petty Officer Jensen."
A moment later, his yeoman's voice came back, crisp and clear over the comm. [Jensen here, Commander. Go ahead.]
"Hannah," Morad began, "I need you to draft a priority message to Fleet Captain Vakir at Deep Space Nine. Subject: Mission Update, USS Zephyr. Body of the message should state the following: We have arrived at Trill and made contact with Ambassador Vel Junde. We have received our principal, Mediator Kestir. However," he chose his next words carefully, "there has been an unexpected change in the specific nature of our VIP. The original host, Aed'na Tlapo, passed away just prior to our arrival. The Kestir symbiont was successfully transferred to a new host, C'had. This new host required an urgent, time-sensitive medical evaluation upon beaming aboard, which is currently underway in our Sickbay under Doctor O'Fee's supervision. As a result, our departure from Trill has been rocky and slow as we wait for medical to clear the VIP. All ship's systems are green and the crew is performing well. End report."
He paused. "Draft that and send it to my personal PADD for final review before transmission. And Hannah," he added, "mark the file for my eyes only."
[Aye, Commander. Drafting now,] she replied.
Ameen cut the channel. That should cover it. No need to go into C'had's... personality... just the facts. Vakir needs to know why we're delayed. Now, all that was left was to wait for the most important update of all...
He looked at the chronometer and noticed that almost an hour had passed since Mediator Kestir had been escorted to Sickbay. An hour of the bridge crew working diligently on their new assignments, the initial shock settling into a low-grade, simmering tension. Ameen had reviewed half a dozen routine reports on his console, but his mind wasn't on them. It was on Deck 3.
Enough waiting, he decided, pushing aside a report on atmospheric condenser efficiency. The entire mission to Veld and Taveres, everything, hinges on what's happening in Sickbay right now. I need to know...
He leaned forward in his command chair and tapped the comm panel.
"Ameen to Doctor O'Fee." He waited a beat for the channel to open, his expression serious. "Doctor, I apologize for the interruption if you're in the middle of a delicate procedure, but I need a preliminary report on Mediator Kestir. What is his immediate condition? Is the symbiont stable in the new host?"
He kept his finger near the comm panel, waiting for her response.
Come on, Doc. Give me some good news...
The fate of two planets, and the immediate future of the Zephyr's mission, depended on what she said next...
== Tag ==