Fresh Faces - Part 1

Posted on 07 Jan 2011 @ 5:33pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Captain Derek Longwinter & Sergeant Dawn Brianna & Captain Reva Madhava

1,747 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: M7: Shore Leave - Mercer Colony
Location: Holodeck 1

Under normal circumstances Da`nal would have met with new members to the crew as they reported to the ship. However these were not normal circumstances and the shear number of the additional crew members that had arrived made meeting everyone individually impossible.

The holodeck set up like a meeting hall and now Don and Da`nal awaited the arrival of the new members of his crew. Some he had met briefly during the meeting of the senior staff that he had attended via commlink, other he had yet to met. Some had serious personal issues that would need immediate action and there were other he would have issues with, but those would be handled behind the scenes.

Da`nal walked in a his XO put the final touches on the program

"Didn't know you could be this accommodating..." Don commented as he inspected what Da'nal coma up with. "Unless your lovely mate had a say..." he added. ~Crap!~ He hoped his comments regarding the dark haired Ayren didn't peeve Da'nal off.

Da`nal smirked at the remark, but it was inevitable that the relationship he had with Ayren would come up. "That had nothing to do with it. I just don't want to repeat myself 11 times."

Don chuckled, glad that he didn't offend the Klingon. "Very efficient captain, it is like receiving a whole new crew." Don saw the new people arriving and noticed that they seemed very unsure and subdued. "Please excuse me Captain, let me do some mingling..." he said, indicating the arrivals.

One of those new arrivals was an old face, comparatively speaking; she was a green Ensign, one who probably had less experience than most others in the room, but she'd been on the ship just a little longer than the others. Beside her was a new face: Lt. Oz Goodshire, and he was more than interested in her face…and her figure. He smiled at the young Orion and said, "Thanks for coming along with me, Reva."

"Oh, sure, Lieutenant," she answered, distractedly glancing about the room, as if looking for someone. Whoever she was looking for, she didn't see. "Let's go meet the Captain." She pulled the older scientist along with her.

Captain Derek Longwinter had unfortunately spent most of the morning getting ready for the meeting of the new crew members. It was a last minute thing for the Marine Commander to be invited to the event but the captain felt that because many of the fresh members were Marines that Derek had just recently had brought to the ship to become part of his newly formed unit of marines, the captain thought it might be a good idea to have the highest ranking marine aboard the ship join him and executive officer in welcoming everyone aboard the Achilles.

What had taken Derek the most time was getting his uniform to the flawless condition the Marine Commander had to have it. Some would call him vain for taking small things into perfect detail but to the Marine Commander it was his duty: he was the face of not only his elite detachment of marines but also the entire Star Fleet Marine Corps when it came to this ship and that was a heavy burden, one that required him to summon every bit of professionalism to the job. Derek was a lot more comfortable in fatigues, covered in mud and blood but for events like this, it was time to pull out his dress blues. Wearing the deep navy blue uniform was a time honored tradition and everything from the red "blood stripe" to the brass buttons and seven belt loops on the uniform spoke of such deep and rich tradition that it was almost one of the greatest honors to be allowed to wear a uniform that men for centuries have died for.

Derek had his trousers and jacket on and full arrayed, 4 solid bars worth of multi colored ribbons all arrayed perfectly straight with one ribbon by itself above all others: the ribbon was a little blue with a couple silver stars on the cloth, the same material that matched what held the medal around Derek's neck. With the usual high collar of the dress blues, around it was the blue cloth with silver stars that lead down into a bronze colored star like medal: the Medal of Honor, one of the greatest and most prestigious medals in history and the single highest honor in the Federation, earned for acts of the highest valor. Derek hated wearing the stupid thing, because everyone, regardless of rank, had to salute the damn thing which made Derek uncomfortable because he didn't need some admiral saluting him, he just did his job plus it was heavy, but not really the medal per say but the blood shed to pay for it was heavy.

As the doors to the holo deck swooshed open to admit the marine commander, he had a stoic and cold look on his scarred yet still ruggedly handsome face. Razor sharp emerald eyes scanning the room quickly, surveying the room for any number of things on his mental check list, it was as natural as breathing as the marine commander walked smoothly into the meeting hall, his movement causing the sword at his side, the vaunted mameluke sword with its ivory hilt and all silver scabbard, to sway gently with each of the marine commander's steps. Walking directly towards the Captain, keen eyes easily picking out the Klingon in the crowd, Derek sharply came to a halt in front of him, heels snapped together as Derek right hand went flat and crisply in a well practiced salute that came up eye level, Derek hand slightly tilted forward a little, none of his palm showing as he held the salute until it was returned.

Derek's reason for saluting had been twofold: one because it was expected to render a salute to a higher commissioned officer and two because he figured he would get his salute for the medal of honor out of the way too, kill two birds with one stone. Cutting his salute sharply after receiving one in return from the Captain, Derek eased out of such a rigid position of attention, though he didn't really relax all that much as he took another look around the meeting hall. His expression remaining unchanged, Derek took another scan of the room before finally breaking the silence "Nice little gathering we have here sir, more people than we could have ever expected have joined our crew and getting all your enemies in the same place is a solid strategy" Derek said with an emotionless look on his face " just kidding sir" though Derek demeanor and stone cold baritone voice didn't really make it seem like much a joke.

Da`nal grinned slightly. "Enemies...well we shall see." he added with an edge of humor to his voice. Though it was rather unusual for so many new crew members to be picked up at once.

Rebekah walked into the holodeck she was nervous as she had heard many things about the Captain. she just stood there.

Don walked over to her, and having met her before, he smiled. "Hope all is well?" he asked. He was not briliant at small talk and often messed it up, but he did like to know the crew well enough to build relationships with them.

"Just about Commander how are you?" Bekah felt uncomfortable with her heritage. She missed her friends at Outpost Cousteau.

"I am very well, thank you," he answered her question, noting her discomfort, but didn't know the reason. "You are a long way from your previous post, but I am sure you will find the Achilles a welcome place," he tried.

Bekah had smile just a little. "Thank You Sir."

Dawn stepped into the holodeck, she stayed close to the walls, she didn't know many people and she wasn't one to start a conversation someone. She kept to herself, watching and observing the others.

Next, Don stepped to the marine. His father was the famous General Marcus Killian, Federation Marine Corps Command, and and was a marine himself, although he always tried to avoid people making the connection. "Hello Sergeant, I am Commander Don Killian, Executive Officer," he introduced himself, extending his hand to her.

"Uh hi, I'm Dawn Brianna." she spoke, hesitantly and extremely nervously.

"Welcome on board, Dawn," Don said warmly, a charming smile on his lips. "Hope you will have a good tour with us," he said.

"She will" Derek's calm and clear baritone voice appeared before the man "If she is as good as her training jacket says she is" The Angosian marine commander said as a slight smirk spread across the lips of his handsome but scarred face, the jagged old knife wound running laterally down the right side of his face. Having appeared out of almost thin air, Derek was suddenly behind the executive officer as he joined the conversation; the marine commander looked like something out of a recruiting poster, in his dress blues with his medal of honor hanging around his neck and his mamaluke sword swinging gently at his side. Razor sharp emerald eyes scanned the new sergeant attached to his Force Reconnaissance, from head to toe and admired her beauty, both her physical beauty and the fact that such a small woman was described to be as fierce as a lioness and as smooth a stalker as a black panther.

"Yeah, it is rather impressive.....no pressure, Sergeant," he said jokingly. He grew up in marine bases and was expected to excel like his father did, but Don left the Marine Corps a long time ago. No matter what he did in a marine career, it would always be compared with his fathers and he wasn't going to live his life like that. "Captain, A pleasure to meet you too," he said extending his hand to the man.

Dawn was fairly silent when Derek spoke about her training jacket, other than a few smiles she made on her face. She wasn't one to talk much, but replied to her Captain, "Yes sir." Her last CO didn't care much about her, if she lived, if she died. All he cared about was getting the job done just so he could win medals. But Marine Captain Derek, he was different; Dawn could tell he actually cared about the Marines below his rank.

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TBC

 

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