B-Team Roundtable

Posted on Mon Mar 10th, 2025 @ 12:37pm by Commander Alex Flynn & Lieutenant Rune Thul & Colonel Ashaan Vhau & Ensign Nimah & Senior Chief Petty Officer Gaz

1,553 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Serpent's Tooth [3]
Location: Senior Staff Briefing Room
Timeline: 1315 - MD02

Once it was reasonably obvious that there wasn't an ambush lying in wait or an exploding star about to burst, Alex felt comfortable calling a senior staff meeting. When she left Lieutenant T'Vath in charge of the CIC, the Excalibur had begun its survey of the second planet in the system, and confirmed it could fly and communicate just as well as it could in their own vanilla universe.

She'd wanted to leave Olson in charge, but as she got ready to do it she remembered the single instruction she'd received when his transfer, requested by Chief Gaz, was approved. Don't leave Olson in charge.

Flynn was joined by Gaz and Thul, all the other faces were either new or not normally present at senior staff meetings. Duros looked happy to be there and not the only one in purple, next to him sat the Diplomatic Security Chief Lieutenant Kingsley. Communications sent Aznaj, Navigation sent Sylok. Alph was there for the first time in his new capacity as Assistant Chief Engineer. Lieutenant Douglas had brought Ensign Nimah to represent life sciences, which she hadn't had time to catch up with yet.

Colonel Vhau, Lieutenant Director Raaku and Major Nhan had joined them once again.

Gaz was still struggling to remember everyone's names as they all sat down. He didn't even know the junior officers who were sitting in, except Alph, and the Cardassian girl he'd spoken to briefly at the opening of Thul's fella's place. Never did get her name.

"Okey dokey, let's get to it." Alex said once the last person had settled in their place. "Let me first say things aren't normally so rushed around here. But when the space hole finally turns up something interesting instead of empty space or unspeakable horror, we don't want to waste any time." Alex realised for a moment that she should correct herself. "We don't call it the space hole. Anomaly. It's the anomaly."

"But as you're all no doubt aware, the journey through it is going well. We're almost positive that the star system is on the outer edge of the milky way galaxy, stellar cartography puts it in the outer gamma quadrant. Other than some kind of mineral on the second planet Atna wants to take a closer look at, it's all looking a lot like what we have at home. We're expecting another update in six hours. Though technically they're only a few AUs away, so we can contact them very easily." Alex explained, bringing up the data on the table's holoprojector.

"So before we get into departmental updates, has anyone got any questions for or about our new comrades or their departments?" Alex asked the group.

Rune leaned forward towards Alex, "I don't see why you couldn't call it a Space Hole. It is literally what it is." He grinned then leaned back in his chair and glanced at the padd he was working on, though kept his peripheral on Alex. "It's also a good name for a bar, I might suggest it to my husband." Rune smirked.

"I have a question on behalf of your new comrades, ma'am. The one that's me. Any good bars aboard?" Colonel Vhau asked in his relaxed, steady way.

"There's Freddie's in the blue sector. There's also the Spot, but it's more of a restaurant. The Wintergarden in the green zone has a few levels and does both." Alex told the Colonel.

"Spoiled for choice. Thanks, Commander." Vhau said.

"I'm guessing we don't have any information on the inhabitants of this side of the universe?" Nimah quipped. "Ooh, I'd love to meet them. Provided they don't try to kill us on first sight, of course. That wouldn't be very pleasant, would it?"

"Lieutenant Atna reports they're at the edge of the galaxy in their current position. There's most likely life further in, but nothing nearby. There's a lot of data coming through already, at least one of the planets is Class-M, and apparently there's some kind of rock there that's heavy enough to be interesting. I imagine you'll all be busy." Alex told Nimah.

"I hope we will be." Nimah replied with a wide smile.

"Lieutenant Kingsley, please let me know if you have need of extra personnel and I shall send you at least 2 teams." Rune said with a smile.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I will be sure to keep that in mind." Kingsley told Thul.

"I got a question." Gaz said, looking at the new intelligence director. "I'm sure you aren't, but the operators keep asking, so I'd be remiss if I didn't ask. Are you spying on us, too, Lieutenant Director?"

This got spicy quickly, Rune mused as he looked from Gaz to Raaku then back again as if watching a one on one sporting match.

"The role of Starfleet Intelligence is to gather and provide intelligence related to operational concerns and external forces. It is not our business to investigate Starfleet personnel. That is of course, unless they were implicated in wrongdoing. In such a case, the matter would be immediately reported to the command officers, as is policy for the security department." Raaku said with the intonation of an arresting officer, fixing her gaze on Thul as she spoke.

"Should wrongdoing be reported, Security Investigations would look into the matter." Rune replied with a nod to Raaku.

"Will that satisfy your operators chief, or will they be telling their children scary stories about me and my secret thought police?" Raaku's tone was serious, but one couldn't help but get the impression she was being facetious.

"It's a start." Gaz said lazily.

"Great! Let's try and remember we live in a utopia undreamed of for most of existence." Alex said, looking around at everyone. "So Colonel, are your marines ready for duty?" Alex asked, knowing there were no wrong answers here. They'd been aboard less than 24 hours after all.

"Exuberantly so, ma'am." Vhau said. He had a sort of affected seriousness, like he couldn't naturally be serious so he had to do a slightly lacking imitation.

Rune wondered a few things as he listened to the Marine Commander. He thought perhaps some of the other chiefs might be interested in a welcome party. He'd have to get to arranging it quickly, and he knew where to host it. A smile grew on his face.

He turned to Kingsley again. "Just to be clear, Lieutenant, I am in no way downgrading your department's capabilities. Merely informing you that backup is available. There may come times that officers may wish to shift their focus and I hope you are willing to accept any should they decide to transfer to Diplomatic Security?" Rune asked with a smile.

Kingsley looked with concern for a moment to Flynn, then back to Thul. "Thank you Lieutenant, I believe I understand."

"'Kay. Does anyone have anything to add to their departmental reports, or can we take them all as written?" Alex asked, hoping they could wrap things up there and then.

"Very happy to let it speak for itself." Colonel Vhau said, emphasis on the very.

"Me too, Commander." Major Nhan said, mainly to make sure he said something during the meeting.

Gaz folded his arms silently in the expectation that Flynn would dismiss them.

"While this isn't really departmental related, I'd like to invite everyone to a Welcome to Deep Space 13 Party that 'The Spot' is to hold in a few days." Rune offered with hands wide in front of him, gesture as if checking for rainfall. "If you could relay that to those going off duty in your departments, that would be wonderful. Who knows, there could be welcome discounts." He smiled, though had inwardly cursed, for he was sounding like Vestar's marketing people.

"I'll be there." Nimah promised. "Welcome discounts are always good. Especially for booze." She grins mischievously, one eyebrow raised.

Again with the Spot. Gaz told himself, eager to leave. Fella must be on commission.

"I hope 'The Spot' is built to last, Lieutenant. I've got seventy-five marines who play a lot harder than they work, and they work very hard." Vhau said in his usual deadpan, knowing Nhan probably had similar feedback.

Rune smirked as he knew some of his security personnel fit that category as well. "I'm sure an arrangement can be made Colonel with a little notice, I shall let them know." He did pick up on Gaz's thoughts and again inwardly cringed. He needed to pull back his support for his husband a little more. This was a unique situation, however, with the new departments' arrival, so he let this time slide.

"Oh, Colonel, could I meet with you later? I have a few questions I'd like to ask." Rune inquired, he waited for a sign from the Marines' Commanding Officer.

"Feel free to make an appointment with my XO. I'm sure she can give you any answers you might want." Vhau said, deftly sidestepping the attempt.

He noted the deflection, he wondered why but nodded his thank you before he turned to Flynn, "I have nothing further for the meeting, apologies for the shameless advertising that just took over me, Commander." He said.

"Well, you all heard the man. Be there or be elsewhere." Flynn said, leaning back into her chair. "Dismissed."

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