JDL | Com Ivanova, Cmdr Dahe'el, Lt Ch'Valenvok - "Season's Greetings"

Posted on Tue Sep 15th, 2015 @ 5:36pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Almar Dahe'el & Captain Kaleb Ch'Valenvok M.D.

2,211 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Agua Mala

The USS Vindicator was nearly as large as Starbase 158, and as his shuttle docked, Kaleb felt more than a little uneasy about his new posting. He had run the astrophysics division on the Starbase but there were only ten other people to keep track of. Commander Harren had told him that running a department was little different and he would do fine, but Kaleb had his doubts. He had read the specs on the Discovery Class starship but they hadn't done any justice to the sheer scale of the thing up close and personal. Now securely docked in the main shuttle bay, Kaleb felt the pressure change first through his antenna then through his ears as the shuttle equalized with the Vindicator. The aft hatch hissed as the seal released and the door lowered to the deck of the bay. Stepping out, Kaleb looked around at the giant hanger where crewmen busily worked to move shuttles and fighters from take off and landing zones to storage bays and vice versa. Kaleb walked over toward a Bolian quartermaster directing two crewmen to begin unloading the shuttle he had just arrived on. "Excuse me Lieutenant, could you direct me to the turbo lift? I need to check in with the Executive Officer and assume my duties."

Smiling to one side of his blue mouth, Lieutenant Denzar said, "You are not likely to find the XO or CO aboard at the moment. They are both down on the planet taking in the sights, I presume. Say you wouldn't happen to be the new Chief Science Officer would you?"

Kaleb found it odd that both the Captain and Executive Officer were off the ship and displayed his puzzlement through his antenna as they first sagged toward is blue forehead and then pointed straight up. "I am Lieutenant Ch'Valenvok the new CSci, yes."

"The XO left standing orders for you to report to him planet side as soon as possible. He and the CO won't be far apart so be ready to meet them both." The blue Bolian said as he turned back to his crewmen and started shouting orders again.

Kaleb had thousands of questions but no time to ask any of them. He followed the path lined out on the floor to the turbolift and inquired of the computer where his quarters were assigned. His room was more than adequate and furnished with a work station tied directly into the ships science database for ease of access. He didn't have time to play with any of the equipment though, he was needed planet side according to the busy Bolian in the shuttle bay. He sat his bags down on the floor beside the queen size bed, turned to look in the mirror by the built-in dresser then pressed his combadge. "Ch'Valenvok to transporter room one, one to beam to the surface near the Executive Officer's location."

"Transporter room one to Lieutenant Ch'Valenvok, we are ready to transport when you are, Sir." The soft female voice of the transporter technician said.

Taking a deep breath, Kaleb said, "Energize". His atoms were scanned dematerialized and sent through the pattern buffer before being beamed through the transporter array and down to the planet where they were reassembled with mind numbing accuracy and efficiency. He found himself standing on a beach in a marginally warmer than comfortable climate. Ahead of him, seated on separate chairs were a Human female and a Cardassian, he recognized as the Captain and her first officer.

He approached tugging on his uniform as if the transporter had left it askew somehow. His gait was long and quick, typical of most Andorians. His facial features, however did not possess the rough hewn angles of full blooded Andorians. Being half human had softened his features and lent him a seemingly perpetual boyish look. His medium blue skin, antenna, and silver white hair, which he grew to cover his smooth forehead, were typical of most Andorians though and allowed him to fit within the mold cast when thinking of his species.

Feeling like a first year cadet, he walked into the two's field of vision and stopped smartly saluting. "Ma'am, Sir, my name is Lieutenant Ch'Valenvok. I am reporting as Chief Science Officer." He dropped the salute and held out his orders on his PADD for either of them to review.

For the most part the beach had been a particularly calming thing - especially when hidden nooks and crannies of it were revealed by those who were astute enough to find them. Landon had. His heart seemed to leap for adventure no matter where it was that the Vindicator sent them hurtling off too, and with no reason to believe in danger here, Rochelle was more than happy to allow her other half a loose rein to explore as he see fit. Trying to stop him would have proven fruitless, regardless, and the discoveries he made were often times easily chalked up to perfection. The lagoon in front of her and Almar, shining turquoise beneath the high sun, was just one remarkable token of proof - and one she happily took advantage of as a makeshift office.

The two of them had been at it for hours, going over additional reports and sorting out the intel gleaned by the half-Stenellis spook aboard the Enterprise. One, in particular, had continued to stand out; the heavy insistence that there was some sort of connection between the Romulan Praetor's darling nephew, and the high spirited Princess of the Ascendancy. The more it was studied, the more it seemed innocent enough - if one could ever believe that Romulans could ever possess a trait such as innocence. Rochelle, however, was quick to remind herself that bitterness wasn't such a wise trait to possess either, and as such did what she could to leave the foul memories of Ael'Riov Vrith tr'Bak off on the back burner.

"This is another interesting one," The redhead moved to shift her position in the scoop-shaped chaise her body had claimed. The movement was enough to unsettle the rogue wisp of hair that never seemed able to be tamed, forcing her to brush it back behind an ear as she offered the PADD to the Commander beside her, "Looks like Enterprise is relatively certain Commander Rinehart was accidentally fed some kind of plant derived dru--" She paused mid-sentence, catching sight of the unknown officer approaching them and tilted her head ever so slightly to observe him.

For an Andorian, he seemed so young and far from haggard - traits she'd never quite expected to see from a member of the cold-world species. "I'd say 'welcome aboard', Lieutenant, but seeing as we're not currently on the Vindicator, we'll just have to settle for 'welcome'." Rochelle greeted, taking the PADD he offered with her freehand, "You've come at a very interesting time and arrived at a very interesting place we know little to nothing about," She added as she scanned the man's orders, added her thumbprint, and passed them over to Almar for his approval. The act seemed so very reversed, even to her, but the eagerness to set a Science Officer to task was rampant. "I'm sure you'll find it fascinating, no doubt."

"Welcome to the crew, Lieutenant." Almar replied as he accepted the padd, gave a quick review of the information and added his thumb print, the Cardassian's brow raised at the Andorian for a moment as he regarded him, "You may want to change into something a little more forgiving though, you're likely to find this climate difficult to handle in full uniform."

Looking first to the red headed Commodore, Kaleb said, "Yes Ma'am. I read several of the reports on the trip from Starbase 158. I am as fully apprised of the situation as I can be with my current security clearance. I understand the CMO on the Enterprise has done a good deal of research on the Flora and Fauna of the planet as well as increased our knowledge of Stenellis anatomy and medical treatments. I hope to get to work with him while we are here."

He then turned toward the Cardassian Commander, "I thank you for your concern, Sir, but we Andorians are a tough people, hot or cold makes no difference to us."

It seemed strange to Kaleb that he would be meeting his Captain and First Officer on a beach in civilian attire. He had to remind himself that things were different when one was attached to a ship. Changing situations and evolving social and interpersonal climates made necessary all forms of adaptability. The sun was intense at the moment but with thick Andorian skin and the relatively slow moving blood in his body he would be fine for hours yet as he was.

"Ma'am, I am ready for any challenge you have to throw at me." If Kaleb could have blushed he would have as he realized just how young and naive he sounded. His antenna turned to the side unable to hide the embarrassment he felt at his gushing bravado.

A smile slowly tugged at the corners of the young Commodore's lips as she listened to the Andorian speak. He had moxie, that would work to his advantage as he settled in on the Vindicator for the long haul; not an easy task. "I believe Lieutenant Keal and Commander Rotek may be the first place you should start. Both are working studiously, as you've mentioned, at trying to sort out and categorize the species we're witnessing here. Cold Station Theta has reported numerous shipments containing unknown trade from peoples we've never encountered." She explained, once again working to tuck an errant russet strand back into place, "The sooner we can classify things the sooner the Admiral can be sure that drugs and other contraband aren't being shipped through her station. It's not a small task, but I'm sure it'll be easily completed by the three of you." The woman added, her nose wrinkling ever so slightly as she considered the Andorian's uniform for herself.

"And on the topic of uniform," She began, resting her hands in her lap, "We're considered guests of the Ascendancy's royal family. There's been a request that we relax and enjoy their hospitality and leave uniforms for official talks and functions. I can't say I'm especially comfortable with it, but..." She shrugged, "When in Rome, or so the old adage goes."

Kaleb never took his eyes off of the Commodore as she spoke. When she finished he felt less a foolish child and more like a complete idiot wondering what Rome had to do with Aspha. "I will contact Commander Rotek and Doctor Keal as soon as I get back to the Vindicator, Ma'am. I must admit, I don't have any appropriate summer clothing and will have to replicate some. I think a simple series of tricorder scans should be able to determine any possible psychotropic effects..." Kaleb trailed off as he realized the Commodore probably didn't want to hear about how he would work to determine the properties of the materials running through Cold Station Theta at this moment. "Is there anything else, Ma'am, Sir?"

Both of Rochelle's eyebrows lifted as the young officer paused his explanation and quickly began to look for an out. He was awkward, perhaps nervous, but she knew from his record that he was also brilliant. Awkward could be excused in such an alien environment. "I'm sure once you're able to catalogue the samples Lieutenant Keal has taken and cross reference them with the samples Admiral Red has on file, things will go quite smoothly." She offered him a gentle smile in attempt to soothe whatever energy had bubbled up so needlessly. "There is one more thing, actually," The Commodore's brain triggered in response to the thoughts surrounding contraband and drugs as a whole, and her hands quickly fished for Commander Rinehart's latest report. "I'd appreciate if you worked with Commander Rotek and Lieutenant Keal to run a full diagnostic on the samples taken during Commander Rinehart's..." She paused, searching for the perfect word. Calling it a 'trip' seemed so wrong, so... Classless. "Ordeal. So far the substance has been identified as organic and likely botanical, but an indepth analysis will certainly help determine whether or not this was more than just a poor reaction to a foreign treat."

Kaleb felt a rush of excitment and a dizying torrent of responsibility wash over him. "Yes, Ma'am. I will begin at once." There emerged the calm and calculated responses Kaleb had been looking for during this whole conversation. He would not normally have been so chatty nor as scatter brained but something about this place combined with the circumstances of his first encounter with his new Captain and Executive Officer had him on edge. He could feel a slight, almost undetectable, current in the air and he didn't like it. He waited for the Captain's approval and dismissal before making another move.

"Perfect." she replied with an approving nod, "I look forward to reading your progress reports, Lieutenant. You're dismissed."

---


Commodore Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Comander Dahe'el
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Lieutenant Ch'Valenvok
Chief Science Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

 

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