Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - CFO's Office 0915
"Preparing schedules is the most boring thing I've ever done." Horatio complained to his computer. "I should've had Dalia do it..." he mumbled. He felt bad about Dalia. She accepted, of course, that the decision was out of her hands, after all, as she was a professional. She took the hit like a boxer in a match, irritated but silent, respectful but, in her own way, seething. Horatio had tried to explain his point and he could tell in a small way, she appreciated his attempt at justification, but in the end, they both knew the decision had been made and, again, it was out of her hands.

She had left the mess hall to go calm herself, he assumed. She was off shift today, so Horatio didn't blame her.

After his meeting with Doctor Moore, he decided to post someone in his department in the main lab at all times, which he did anyway, and someone to work science labs 2 & 3 at all times for the duration of the ambassador's stay.

Horatio decided that after the meeting with the Captain, he would connect with Lieutenant Commander Thorson about the project, though he imagined with the ambassadors being aboard the vessel, his priorities would lie elsewhere.

He picked up the packet Lauren had created to give to engineering and went over it for the 10th time. With a spot of luck, he could give this over to engineering and he wouldn't trouble Thorson more than was necessary.

On the other side of the coin, he had a meeting of his own to schedule with one of his specialists - Lena Scheuermann. By accounts of others in his department, she was not pulling her own weight. Reviewing her work logs and checking into her for the last couple days, Horatio found that he had to agree. She spent a significant amount of time not working whilst on shift.

An idea flashed into his mind while he sat there. I should have Dalia come sit in for the meeting. She could use the experience in handling poorly performing crew members and being asked to assist in such a matter would surely mollify her.
"Horatio to Ensign Maize."

=/\= Go for Maize. =/\= Came the easy response.

"I need you to meet me in my office, at your convenience."

=/\= Aye, sir. Be there shortly. =/\=

"This'll work out perfectly, computer. I feel it in my bones." Horatio leaned back in his chair and smiled.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Deck 3 - VIP Suites - 1000
Lasad shook Zai's hand when offered, with a real smile in return "Thank you again Tochi, I appreciate the welcome and look forward to both the meeting and working with you."

He even managed a friendly wave as the XO departed. Leah and Natasha waved at him as well. But as soon as the Lt was out of sight, Leah elbowed Natasha in the ribs. The later grumbling softly and passed a small shiny stone over to Leah.

Dio raised both his eyebrows at that gesture. But at this point, he'd given up asking what they were doing. Instead he snatched up the last scraps of old hardware and upholstery they'd pulled up. Cheery voice ringing out as he walked away. "Thank you so much for your assistance Crewmen Finnley, Pierce. Excellent work! I've dragged you both off your normal duties and down time for far long enough."

He peeked back in for a moment "I'll arrange for a staff meeting in the next few days, as well as individual meetings over the coming weeks."

------
Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Deck 2 and Bridge - 1030 Dio got back to his quarters quickly thereafter, running through the ultrasound shower so he smelled less like leather and sand. A second cup of coffee and a few quiet minutes to gather his thoughts, ease both his head and his stomache. The way his day was going, he doubted there'd be any time to see the chief medical officer tonight.

Time to beard the Lion in his den. Sweet cosmos my brain is full of cliches today.
The turbolift carried him up the short distance to the Bridge. Which compared to his last few hours, was blessed calm and orderly. He nodded politely to those in attendance, and proceeded directly to the captain's chair - where whom he could only assume was the Captain was seated now. A man of average-tall height, sandy hair, human (Dio was guessing here) with a bit of a brooding look and a firm gaze. No nonsense officer material written all over.

Remember the lemons.
He stopped the exact proper two steps from the Captain's chair, before snapping to a salute.

"Lt Dio Lasad, new chief of operations, reporting for duty, Sir!"

(Feel free to msg me for collab!)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Bridge - 1030

Captain Drake sat in the command chair, frowning at yet another PADD from Yeoman Vish, when the turbolift doors whooshed open to reveal a roguishly handsome lieutenant dressed in gold. The newcomer was all business as he snapped to attention and presented himself. "Lieutenant Dio Lasad, new chief of operations, reporting for duty, Sir!"

Drake nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant; welcome aboard," he offered. The Captain signed the PADD, then handed the device to the Bajoran woman waiting there. "Thank you, Riva. Hopefully, that will be the last of them for the next five minutes." She smirked and rolled her eyes before leaving the bridge.

Returning his focus to Lasad, Drake stood. "Lieutenant, if you have a moment, I would appreciate you joining me in the Ready Room."

((OOC: assuming he agrees))

The Captain nodded. "Lieutenant Moriden, you have the bridge." With that, he led the new operations chief through a side door and down the short hall to the ready room.

Upon entering, Drake took the chair behind his desk and gestured for Lasad to take the facing chair. "Please, Lieutenant, have a seat," he spoke.

((OOC: assuming Lasad does so))

"First off," Silas began, "I would like to make you feel welcome aboard the Peregrine. I understand that you have hit the proverbial ground running; Lieutenant Zai tells me that you have done some excellent work in preparing the ambassador quarters. That sort of work ethic does not go unnoticed."

A frown crossed the Captain's face as he talked. "As I am sure that you have already heard, we're in a bit of disarray right now. Half of my department heads have been replaced within the past twenty-four hours; for such to happen at the onset of a delicate mission... that, as I'm sure you are well aware, is a bit unusual." As he spoke, the Captain had allowed his gaze to wander among the various model ships around the room, but now, it focused on Lasad.

"What troubles me," he continued, "is that I know almost nothing about my new Chief of Operations. Starfleet Command sent me the dossier of a completely different officer; until two hours ago, I had believed that your role would be handled by a Lieutenant Tetsuku... and then, you show up. Are you aware, Lieutenant, that your service record is currently sealed?"

((OOC: allowing for a response here))

"Despite my best efforts," Drake spoke, "I have been unable to gain much of any information on you. Even my resident master of bureaucracy, Yeoman Vish, was unable to unearth much about you; staffing claims that there is a records error." His tone made it clear how deeply Drake believed in such a claim. "Tell me, Lieutenant, how long have you had your second pip?"

((OOC: assuming Dio answers truthfully as to his time in rank))

Drake nodded. "That lines up with what I thought... and puts me in a bit of a difficult situation. You see, on a tiny ship like the Peregrine, we simply lack many senior officers. All told, there are exactly six of us ranked lieutenant or higher... and of those, one is the ship's doctor, and one is the chief engineer. That means that there are a mere four line officers above lieutenant junior grade. Lieutenant Berk appears to be a competent officer with an excellent service record, but he is very recently promoted. With you having the seniority, it would seem that you should be slotted to be my new Second Officer... and yet, I know next to nothing about you. Lieutenant Lasad, that frankly does not make me feel warm and fuzzy."

The Captain's voice took on a bit of a hard edge. "I am ultimately responsible for all sixty-seven souls aboard this ship - sixty-nine for the next few days, thanks to the presence of our guests. It is my duty to know everything that there is to know about this ship and her crew, so that I can make the best decisions possible for the common benefit. A wildcard of this magnitude puts me ill at ease." If anything, Drake's gaze grew more intense. "Lieutenant, I have a few direct questions for you, and I need honest answers for them. I trust that you will answer them to the best of your ability."

((OOC: response here, if desired))

Silas folded his hands in his lap and leaned back. "First - are you currently, or have you previously been, assigned to Starfleet Intelligence? Second - what was your last assignment, how long were you there, and who did you serve under? Third - is there any factor that would prevent you from doing your duty, both as Chief of Operations and as Second Officer of this vessel? Finally - is there anything else that I need to know about you?"

((OOC: assuming a full and truthful response here))

Drake sighed and relaxed his demeanor a bit. "Very well. I hope that you understand my need to perform due diligence. Lieutenant, you will find that I will be your staunchest ally - provided that me functioning as such does not come before my duty to this ship and her crew. I again wish to sincerely welcome you aboard the Peregrine."

The Captain stood and straightened his tunic. "And now, it's just about time for the staff meeting. Dismissed."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Flight Control Office, Shuttlebay 2 - 1015

",have you seen the bloke, though," Megan asked from behind the second cup of black coffee she'd had this morning, "He's absolutely huge! Bigger'n even you, Kook! I dunno how he'll even fit at the CONN, unless he just shoves the bugger forward, which I suppose he could do."

"I haven't, pieni," SCPO Kukkonen chuckled without looking up from the console he hovered over, "but after our night on the base, I'm surprised I can see anything. How does one as small as you drink that much?"

"Inspiration," Megan chirped lifting her mug in salute and, then, wincing slightly at the fact that the action set her head to throbbing again, "an', perhaps, a wee bit o' stupidity."

"I saw Ensign Thomason in the gym, this morning," CPO Yasuo said, having just stepped into the office, PADD in hand, after running his daily checklists on the Flight Deck, "Owen's right. He is massive. We may just have to modify range of motion on the CONN seat to accommodate him." He deposited the PADD on the table and stepped to the replicator, ordering a cup of hot, green tea with ginger. "Speaking of last night," he continued, following a sip of his tea and moving to take a seat next to Megan at the table, "what happened to Ensign P'Tammah?"

"Our little Megan drank her under the table, Yas," Kook laughed.

"I did not," Megan snickered, "She only had the one and was gone before our second round." Shoving a springy lock of red hair from her eyes, her gaze flitted around the Flight Control complex in an almost conspiratorial fashion before she continued; "I heard that she came back to th' boat an' spent th' night in th' Lieutenant's quarters."

"Really," Yas almost whispered the question, his brows spiking upwards.

As Kook grinned and slowly shook his head, Megan nodded. "Tha's what I heard," she said along with a faint shrug, "I'm not sayin' anythin' happened, mind, jus' tha' she went in with a bottle o' wine at 2230 an' wasn't seen again til,"

The opening of the door, at that moment, cut Megan's gossiping short and drew all eyes (somewhat nervously) in that direction. Master Chief V'Lar appeared on the other side and some small bit of that nervousness disappeared from the eyes that had settled on him. "Further speculation as to what may or may not have transpired between Ensign P'Tammah and Lt Zai is illogical, Mr Owen," the Vulcan said flatly as he crossed the threshold into the office, "None of us can possibly know precisely what occurred, nor should we allow ourselves to hypothesize."

"Easy enough for you to say, Master Chief," Megan smiled, a bit of a blush flaring on her cheeks, "You Vulcans've no sense o' romance."

One of V'Lur's brows ticked slightly upward. "To the trained Vulcan intellect," the copper skinned man posited, "intense romantic love is nothing more than a set of stereotypical behaviors. Not having our discipline, typically other races are swept along by the process until it ends."

"And how does it end," Yas asked, genuinely curious.

"Either in conversion to a more balanced, stable relationship," V'Lur answered, "or in tragic circumstances."

"Party pooper," Megan murmured.

"Quite," V'Lur nodded, "Now, if we have completed our postulating in regards to the relationship between the Lieutenant and Ensign P'Tammah, may I suggest that we continue on with our preparations for the arrival of the Kuldar and Rytain ambassadors?"

"Yes, Master Chief," Megan and Yas chorused, each taking a final sip of their beverages before getting to their feet and recycling the cups.

"Good," V'Lur continued, "The ambassadors will, of course, have limited access to the Peregrine's decks; however, Lt Zai would like us to ensure that all auxiliary craft, in particular, those that are warp capable and/or outfitted with armaments, be locked down with additional protocols in order to prevent unauthorized access to and/or operation of said craft.

There will, of course, be an additional Security presence and protocols established at all points of access, but we are to implement triple redundancies in biometric verification and control permissions aboard all shuttlecraft. Mr Kukkonen, Mr Owen; I would like the two of you on the deck tending to the onboard systems. Start with the Eights and Eighteens, if you would. Mr Yasuo; you will join me in Flight Operations and assist with securing the remote systems and CONN interface."

A collective "Aye aye, Master Chief" sounded in the office, then, followed by a flurry of activity as the Flight Control time dispersed per V'Lur's direction.

Kook and Megan made their way to the flight deck and maintenance bays while Yas followed in V'Lur's steps and headed to Flight Ops just next door.

As the Vulcan strode into the Ops Center, he tapped his commbadge; "Flight Operations to Ensign Thomason."

((OOC: Assuming a response))

"Master Chief V'Lur, here, sir. I know you are not scheduled to be on duty until 1500 hours; however, if you have nothing else scheduled and would like to join us in Flight Control, another set of hands would be appreciated,"

((OOC: Completely up to you, Arcani, if you want to get Hebert down to the shuttle bays and get some face time with the rest of the department. The "toss" is there for you. ))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Bridge - 1030
Captain Drake stood. "Lieutenant, if you have a moment, I would appreciate you joining me in the Ready Room."

Dio dropped from his at-attention to a more relaxed stance, but he still kept himself at a fairly stiff posture. He couldn't get enough of neutral tone. "Of course sir." Dio replied to his request. If he was going to get a dressing-down for his abrupt arrival, he'd much rather it be in private. And thus far he couldn't get any kind of read on his commanding officer

The Captain nodded. "Lieutenant Moriden, you have the bridge." With that, he led the new operations chief through a side door and down the short hall to the ready room.

Upon entering, Drake took the chair behind his desk and gestured for Lasad to take the facing chair. "Please, Lieutenant, have a seat," he spoke.

Dio kept his attention focused on the Captain,

"First off," Silas began, "I would like to make you feel welcome aboard the Peregrine. I understand that you have hit the proverbial ground running; Lieutenant Zai tells me that you have done some excellent work in preparing the ambassador quarters. That sort of work ethic does not go unnoticed."

A frown crossed the Captain's face as he talked. "As I am sure that you have already heard, we're in a bit of disarray right now. Half of my department heads have been replaced within the past twenty-four hours; for such to happen at the onset of a delicate mission... that, as I'm sure you are well aware, is a bit unusual." As he spoke, the Captain had allowed his gaze to wander among the various model ships around the room, but now, it focused on Lasad.

Dio had been nodding along, providing polite words of agreement with what he had to say. That he'd done excellent work in the quarters allowed him to relax somewhat. It was bizzare that so many department heads had been replaced at once, before a major mission. He couldn't disagree with the captain on that.

"What troubles me," he continued, "is that I know almost nothing about my new Chief of Operations. Starfleet Command sent me the dossier of a completely different officer; until two hours ago, I had believed that your role would be handled by a Lieutenant Tetsuku... and then, you show up. Are you aware, Lieutenant, that your service record is currently sealed?"

That caught Dio completely off-guard. He'd known about the record mix-up (which was odd). His carefully managed professional appearence broke in wide-eyed shock.

"N..no sir, I was not aware. I knew about the mix-up with Lieutenant Tetsuku and contacted Starfleet staffing days ago to have it corrected. I was told it was only a mix-up in names, and my records were in your hands. Sir."

"Despite my best efforts," Drake spoke, "I have been unable to gain much of any information on you. Even my resident master of bureaucracy, Yeoman Vish, was unable to unearth much about you; staffing claims that there is a records error." His tone made it clear how deeply Drake believed in such a claim. "Tell me, Lieutenant, how long have you had your second pip?"

Dio managed to regain some of his composure, but he couldn't hide that color was steadily draining from his face. "I've been a full Lieutenant since 2362, sir."

Drake nodded. "That lines up with what I thought... and puts me in a bit of a difficult situation. You see, on a tiny ship like the Peregrine, we simply lack many senior officers. All told, there are exactly six of us ranked lieutenant or higher... and of those, one is the ship's doctor, and one is the chief engineer. That means that there are a mere four line officers above lieutenant junior grade. Lieutenant Berk appears to be a competent officer with an excellent service record, but he is very recently promoted. With you having the seniority, it would seem that you should be slotted to be my new Second Officer... and yet, I know next to nothing about you. Lieutenant Lasad, that frankly does not make me feel warm and fuzzy."

The Captain's voice took on a bit of a hard edge. "I am ultimately responsible for all sixty-seven souls aboard this ship - sixty-nine for the next few days, thanks to the presence of our guests. It is my duty to know everything that there is to know about this ship and her crew, so that I can make the best decisions possible for the common benefit. A wildcard of this magnitude puts me ill at ease." If anything, Drake's gaze grew more intense. "Lieutenant, I have a few direct questions for you, and I need honest answers for them. I trust that you will answer them to the best of your ability."

Dio just nodded mutely at that hard stare, his insides steadily twisting up inside with fear. He could hardly blame the Captain for being warry and suspicious - at this point, he could hardly picture a scenario where the Captain would trust Lasad in the future. But it wasn't Drake's expression that was filling him with dread.

Why are my records sealed? I haven't done anything wrong!
Silas folded his hands in his lap and leaned back. "First - are you currently, or have you previously been, assigned to Starfleet Intelligence? Second - what was your last assignment, how long were you there, and who did you serve under? Third - is there any factor that would prevent you from doing your duty, both as Chief of Operations and as Second Officer of this vessel? Finally - is there anything else that I need to know about you?"

"I have never or currently been in Starfleet Intelligence, sir!" Dio said, with more vehemence then he'd intended. He took a deep breathe to calm down before continuing "My last assignment was the USS Melbourne, where I served for the last four years. There are no factors... that I am aware of... that would prevent me from performing my duties to you as Chief of Operations and as Second Officer to your ship, to the utmost of my abilities. As for myself... I...."

Dio paused for a moment, searching for what he could say without destroying what little opinion his commanding officer held.

That someone(s) out there seems to have a very active and hostile dislike for me? The incident on the Melbourne around Epsilon that put us in dry dock and me on my back? That my records are sealed and I don't even know why?! That I was stuffed into a cargo container and knocked out for a day? That someone may be trying to punish one or both of us with this assignment?
"Well, I'm a native from Risa, hopefully that much is in my records." He tried to crack a joke about the situation, but it fell flat even to his ears. "I've got extensive experience with a pretty broad range of planet-side weather and environmental controls. My specialty is more in Stellar Cartography and sensor-communications".

Drake sighed and relaxed his demeanor a bit. "Very well. I hope that you understand my need to perform due diligence. Lieutenant, you will find that I will be your staunchest ally - provided that me functioning as such does not come before my duty to this ship and her crew. I again wish to sincerely welcome you aboard the Peregrine."

"I completely understand sir." The captain seemed genuine enough in saying he'd help, but Dio didn't feel any personal optimism for that prospect, based on past experience. He managed a forced smile for the captain "And thank you again for the welcome."

The Captain stood and straightened his tunic. "And now, it's just about time for the staff meeting. Dismissed."

((OOC: If you want to fill in more questions, answers or comments into the convo, feel free! I'll weave Dio's counter-replies in around 'em))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 3 - 0955

Petty Officer Cook had gone to her quarters to grab something for the meeting with the new Medical Staff who should be in Sickbay shortly. She was hurrying through the corridor headed to the turbolift when she rounding a corner and almost bumped into someone.

"Oh," she said and stopped, "Excuse me. Sir!"

Dana saw that she had almost plowed into Lt. Zai the Executive Officer of all people. She little contact with the man but knew some about him. She knew he was a Trill and therefore tended to talk about himself using We's and Us instead of Me and I. Some people found it strange but it was understandable and she kind of thought it was cool in a way.

"Sorry Sir," she stammered, "I should have been watching where I was going."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 3 - 0955
When he and Nurse Cook nearly collided in the hallway, Tochi reached out a hand to steady the woman as she seemed to have been more surprised about it that he.

"Sorry, sir," she stammered, "I should have been watching where I was going."

Lt Zai shook his head and offered a smile. "Quite alright, Nurse Cook," he said, taking his hand from her shoulder now that he was certain she was steady, "We weren't exactly quick to get out of the way and it has been a frenzied morning, all around. We imagine you've been particularly busy, what with the influx of so many new bodies in Medical."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Personal Quarters 1005

Much to his dismay, disappointment, and perhaps surprise, he hadn't run into anyone yet that seemed remotely keen on introductions. Sure, Hebert had seen a couple folks in the gym in the early morning, which surprised him a bit, given the small sample size the Peregrine offered, but still, they seemed to desire doing their own thing more than meeting him.

I wonder if it's my size. The thought crept into his mind more often than he'd care to mention, really. The vast majority of his decisions in life, professionally and personally, were weighted with how his size would affect the outcome. Should his size have been a factor in why people were hesitant to engage him in even simple conversation, Hebert frankly wouldn't be surprised, for it wouldn't be the first time and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

Hebert found his commanding officer had made a fantastic first impression the night before, with his easy mannerisms and smooth way of speaking. Ah, well. I'm sure I'll meet some of the crew today.
Setting up the various sentimental items he carried, Hebert came to his chess collection. His mother had instilled in him at a very early age a passion for mental exercise, which he took to like a duck to water, to the astonishment of his peers and even his teachers. When he turned 8, his father gave him his first chess set - A hand carved marble set with a wooden base and marble board that he had gotten from another country. His father told him one day, "My grandfather bought this for my dad, who in turn gave it to me, so now I give it to you. Take care of it, son."

From that day, Hebert treasured no other item on or above the earth more than that chess set. Fortunately, none dared try to take it from him, especially considering he could likely, literally, tear the head off the man that tried. Given it's size, he was able to stow it and bring it with him on his assignment to the Starbase and now on his first assignment aboard the Peregrine.

He took his time bring it out and setting up the pieces, made harder given the size of his hands comparatively to the board, but he was meticulous.

He sat looking at the board, playing a mental game in his mind, wondering if anyone on the starship would be up for a game when his reverie was interrupted by a voice.

=/\= Flight Operations to Ensign Thomason =/\=

"Thomason here." His resounding voice called out.

=/\= Master Chief V'Lur, here, sir. I know you are not scheduled to be on duty until 1300 hours; however, if you have nothing else scheduled and would like to join us in Flight Control, another set of hands would be appreciated. =/\=

"Aye, Master Chief. I'm enroute."

That was sooner than expected. Time to meet some folks after all. Hebert smiled and left his belongings half-scattered on his bunk. I hope my room mate doesn't mind...
Quickly checking his uniform and composing his appearance, he made his way to Flight Control, a little pep in his step and a spark of hope in his heart.

--

Arriving at Flight Operations, Hebert found a couple of people inside and announced himself. "Ensign Thomason reporting as requested and here to help however I can." He smiled the best smile he could, eager to make a good first impression on his crewmates.

V'Lur and Yasuo snapped to attention as Thomason entered and rendered a salute. "Good morning, sir," V'Lur said, "and welcome aboard. I am Master Chief Petty Officer V'Lur and this," with a faint gesture to Yas, "is Chief Petty Officer Seto Yasuo."

Hebert glanced at CPO Yasuo with a hint of recognition. "You were in the gym with me this morning, no?"

"Yessir," Yas replied, craning his neck to meet the mountainous man's gaze, "very impressive, sir. You can call me Yas."

"Hebert Thomason, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hebert extended his hand in as friendly a manner as he could.

V'Lur and Yasuo, in turn, shook the big man's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, as well, sir," both said.

"So, what can I do to be of service?" Hebert asked.

Yes indeed, today is going to be a fine day.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 3 - 0955

Lt Zai shook his head and offered a smile. "Quite alright, Nurse Cook," he said, taking his hand from her shoulder now that he was certain she was steady, "We weren't exactly quick to get out of the way and it has been a frenzied morning, all around. We imagine you've been particularly busy, what with the influx of so many new bodies in Medical."

"Yes sir," Dana replied, "we are receiving our new nurses in a few minutes and.. well that is why I was rushing."

Cook seemed embarrassed by the incident and this was out of character for her. She was usually in control of herself and not prone to barreling down the hallways and bumping into people. Especially the XO. She had always thought he was a handsome man and the fact that he had a symbiont inside him didn't dampen that thought. If anything it maybe made him more exotic. She had heard that he was quite the Ladies man but if so she had not seem him flaunting it in the open. That was good as the XO had to show some decorum about such things.

"It is no excuse however," she went on quickly, "I could have caused injury to one of both of us with such behavior. My apologies sir! I will be more careful in the future."

Deck 3, Corridor - 0956
"It is no excuse however," she went on quickly, "I could have caused injury to one of both of us with such behavior. My apologies sir! I will be more careful in the future."

"It's a good thing I'm not on the hunt of excuses or apologies, then," Tochi's smile brightened a bit as he waved away her apology. Nurse Cook had the reputation among her juniors as being something of a taskmaster or drill sergeant, seeing her flustered as she was at this moment, though, he couldn't quite imagine it. "You've met the new Doctor, we presume?"

((OOC: Assuming a positive response, if nothing else, maybe a quick "personal appraisal" of Moore from Dana's perspective?))

"Good, good," Lt Zai nodded, "Despite the mass turn over, it seems, all of our replacements are going to slot in perfectly. Unfortunately, we probably won't have the opportunity to meet Dr Moore until the staff meeting. Give her my regards if you see her before then, would you?"

((OOC: Assuming another positive))

"Thank you," he grinned, taking a step to the side, now, and making a sweeping gesture in the direction she had been heading when they nearly bumped into one another, "We'll let you get back to your day, then, Dana, isn't it? Have a good morning."

((OOC: And, anything else you want to add, otherwise, Tochi will let Miss Hustle-and-Bustle go on about her business. ))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 3 - 0956

"It's a good thing I'm not on the hunt of excuses or apologies, then," Tochi's smile brightened a bit as he waved away her apology. Nurse Cook had the reputation among her juniors as being something of a taskmaster or drill sergeant, seeing her flustered as she was at this moment, though, he couldn't quite imagine it. "You've met the new Doctor, we presume?"

"Ah yes sir," Dana said with a nod, "She seems quite capable and .. nice."

"Good, good," Lt Zai nodded, "Despite the mass turn over, it seems, all of our replacements are going to slot in perfectly. Unfortunately, we probably won't have the opportunity to meet Dr Moore until the staff meeting. Give her my regards if you see her before then, would you?"

"I will sir."

"Thank you," he grinned, taking a step to the side, now, and making a sweeping gesture in the direction she had been heading when they nearly bumped into one another, "We'll let you get back to your day, then, Dana, isn't it? Have a good morning."


"Thank you sir," She said with a chuckle, "Yes... it is Dana. You too sir."

Suddenly remembering that she had to get to Sickbay to greet the new staff. She gave the Lt a nod and then hurried on down the passage to the turbolift and then to Sickbay.

In the turbolift she smiled as she thought of the XO and how 'nice' he seemed. She wondered if he played Raquetball? It would be an interesting contest.

Stepping into Sickbay right at 1000 she was glad to see that none of the new personnel had arrived yet. She sighed and then went to her desk and finished reviewing the files on the new staff.

(Thanks for the little interplay. )
((Always a pleasure. - E.))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine Lt Reid's Quarters - 0915
Having sent his report the new CTO Reid had returned to his studies. Once again he opened the Technical Manual to section 7.0 SCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING SYSTEMS.

"=/\= "Berk to Lieutenant Reid."=/\=

Tapping his communicator, "Reid here"

=/\= ""I'm putting you in charge of securing sensitive areas of the ship, we're going to be stretched pretty thin but we can't have so much as a power-cell leaving this ship in the hands of either side, do what you can to ensure our people don't burn out, if you need to assign me a security shift do so."=/\=

Thinking to himself, "He must have read my report."

"Aye sir..I'll get right on it, sir."

=/\= Berk out."=/\=

"Well a sign of a leader is delegation," sighed Reid.

John then check the Ambassador's arrival schedule at 1200, they would leave Star Base 118 at 1300 and the estimated trip would be three days. They'd have to reschedule everyone mostly likely if the primaries duties were to be covered while watching that their guests didn't pull something funny. This wasn't actually a Yellow alert..maybe he could figure a way to makeup an amber alter.

Catching a quick shower John changed into his duty uniform and headed down to Security.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine Deck 5 Security Section - 0930
The turbo lift opened on Deck 5 and John strode to the Security Section. Entering the office Chief Brooks was seated at the watch desk.

"Chief Brooks.. you've heard the news?"

"Aye sir,Lt. Berk said we're going to have some visiting dignitaries on board. He wants my team at the airlock to escort them to their quarters when they come aboard. Said to post them on deck 2 with for the duration of their stay, be discrete, he don't want them feeling unwelcome but can't have them wandering either."

"Right...well he's got the right idea, he just hasn't had time to learn the staff and rotations yet. This will play havoc on everyone's time. Did you have time to review the information on the Kuldar and Rytain?" Reg was good and John had learned a lot from the veteran NCO.

"Aye.. I did. I agree with your guesses on them. They don't seem too dangerous in a straight up fight but them Kuldar don't like to play it straight up. And them Rytains don't like to be showed up either. I think they're coming here because there are fewer eyes to keep watch on them and they think they can sneak something better than what they got back home."

"Well let us not lead them into temptation and figure how to keep them out of sensitive areas without insulting them too much."

John and Chief then pulled the duty rosters and started piecing together a new shift by rotation. Bridge and armory duties wouldn't change but the rest were fair game. They both agreed to not put Crewman Wren and Myers on Escort. Clint was still an Apprentice and too green and Amy had a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

After an hour they posted the new assignments and made sure the crew got it pinged to their quarters. All Escorts were given duty instructions and informed to be in Dress Uniform. The orders were clear that the Ambassadors were never to be unsupervised other than in their own quarters. The Escorts were not errand boys, if the Ambassadors required something the Escort would call for assistance. John had also noted that Lt. Berk had checked out a sidearm so he ordered that all Security crew would carry while on duty.

John smiled at the Chief, "We can't have our new CTO looking all Cowboy and be the only one pack'n."

"Now we got to restrict their movements without insulting them."

Reg suggested that the triple ID protocol be set on secured areas and a bio scan signature from the transporter go into the ship's computer to track their movements. John agreed and they sent a message to Engineering to be sure the signature was retained.

After the Ambassadors leave the transport room on deck 3 they bio signature activates on all secure lockouts including the transport rooms.

An escort had to accompany them at all times outside of their quarters. They would have limited access on decks 1 through 5 and no access to decks 6 through 10. An Officer must be with them when on deck 1 and then only the Bridge and Conference Room. Captain Drake would have to pass them into his Ready Room.

Deck 2 would only be access to their own VIP quarters. The Captain's Mess would be by invitation and Captain Drake's pass.

Deck 3 would be the Diplomatic Facilities and the Mess Hall if they cared to mingle with the crew. Again they would have an escort.

Deck 4 access to Sick Bay only and only with an Escort.

Deck 5 was limited to the Lounge, the Holosuites and the Gym. The Phaser range is strictly off limits to the Ambassadors. All such secure areas will have triple ID for crew and a bio scan lockout of the Ambassadors. If their bio signature attempted to pass through the door a forcefield containment would activate.

John and Chief went back over the plan and then programmed the bio lockouts.

John assigned himself to the Alpha team greeting Honor Guard of PO Kampakis and PO Brady. Although the Captain, the XO and Lt. Berk would likely attend, John wanted to be sure an Officer was there. He would excuse himself if Senior Staff was present.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine Deck 5 Security Section - 1030
A general notice of the security protocols was sent to all Department Heads to share with their crew so everyone would know of the triple ID required to secure areas. They were told the protocols would activate approximately 1200 hours when the Ambassadors exited the transporter room.

The two rose from the table John nodded to the Chief, "Thank you Chief, now we just have to keep things together for next few days."

"We'll keep them buggers in line, sir. There ain't enough room to sneak and hide on this bird."

(OOC, Ok fixed the times and added a little to the Escort duty now maybe it's time for John to check out the new nurses... )

(OOC, Added times to the sections to show when the general message was sent to Staff.)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 4, Shuttlebay 1 - 1030
"So," Hebert asked, having made his introductions to Yas and V'Lur, "what can I do to be of service?"

"You are the ranking officer, sir," V'Lur intoned, taking up a PADD that Lt Zai had left in his possession, a short while ago, and handing it over to Ens Thomason, "thus, it is not my place to issue you orders; however, the Lieutenant has asked that we make appropriate preparations for the arrival of the Kuldar and Rytain ambassadors,"

((OOC: V'Lur will fall silent here while Hebert reviews the directives on the PADD, "ensure that all auxiliary craft, in particular, those that are warp capable and/or outfitted with armaments, be locked down with additional protocols in order to prevent unauthorized access to and/or operation, also secure remote operations systems and CONN interface in Flight Ops", Once Hebert looks up and/or responds, V'Lur will continue.))

"SCPO Kukkonen and PO2 Owen are on the flight deck, now, tending to the Type-8's and Type-18's," the Vulcan NCO advised when Thomason's gaze lifted from the PADD, "if you would like to address the onboard systems for the Type-10, that would be acceptable. Conversely, if you would prefer to stay here in the Ops center and assist in securing the remote systems and the CONN interface, I can send CPO Yasuo onto the deck with Kukkonen and Owen. The choice is yours, sir."

((OOC: Per our PM convo re: Hebert's choice))

"Very well, sir," V'Lur deadpanned, gesturing through the large window that overlooked the shuttlebay, "You will find the Type-10 shuttle in the maintenance bay. Access is via the lift or the stairwell just off the gantry outside this office. The assistance is appreciated, sir."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Shuttlebay 2 - 1035
=/\=Shuttle 01: Biometric Security Protocols configured,=/\= Kook's voice announced over the comm, =/\=Ready for remote synchronization, Flight Ops.=/\=

=/\=Flight Ops, acknowledged,=/\=V'Lur answered, =/\=Remote synchronization commencing.=/\=

Inside the cockpit of the Type-18 the Peregrine's flight crew had dubbed Pod 01, Megan finished the last control-circuit shunt and reached up, tapping the console to initiate configuration of the ATO matrix. When the on-board computer chirped it's confirmation, Megan tapped her badge. "Pod 01: Biometric Security Protocols configured. Sync ‘er up, Yas."

=/\=Acknowledged,=/\= came the reply, =/\=Syncing now.=/\=

The glow of the conduits leading to and from the shuttlepod's Remote Operation Transponder shifted in color, changing first to a dim yellow, then flaring to green for a nanosecond, before returning to the familiar blue. Satisfied with her work, Megan nodded, replaced the access panel and, after crawling out from beneath the console, got to her feet and, with the swipe of a finger, sent Pod 01 into standby mode. As she stepped through the hatch and back on to the flight deck, she caught sight of the enormous Ensign Thomason as he clipped down the stairwell and into the bay.

"Mother Mary, th' man's a giant," Megan muttered to herself, unable, at the moment, to keep from gawking. She had caught a fleeting (and somewhat drunken) glimpse of the new Flight Control Officer, last night, of course, and, while she'd seen then that Thomason was, indeed, a mountain of a man, she'd also possibly attributed her initial estimation of his true size to intoxicated exaggeration. Seeing him, now, through sober eyes, though, Megan was possibly even more astounded at the sight of him.

She glimpsed SCPO Kukonnen on the other side of the shuttlebay in her peripheral vision, just then, as the man made his way from Shuttle 01 to Shuttle 02, and it tore her attention, however briefly, away from the new Ensign. "Kook!" She whistled, not terribly indiscreetly, to get the man's attention and, when he looked her way, she gestured toward the approaching Ensign Thomason with a subtle canting of her head. She couldn't help but grin when, as his eyes fell on Thomason, Kook's mouth dropped open and his eyes almost bugged out of his head.

WOW! he mouthed the word when his disbelieving gaze ticked back to Megan.

Told ya, she mouthed in response, HUGE!

Decorum overcame dumbfoundedness, then, and Kook barked out; "Officer on deck!" He and Megan snapped to attention.

((OOC: Presuming an "as you were" or somesuch from Hebert))

"Good morning, sir," Kook said, advancing to meet Thomason and extending a hand by way of a less ‘Starfleet-Formal' greeting, "I'm Senior Chief Petty Officer Maarti Kukonnen,"

((OOC: handshake assumed))

",and this," he continued as Megan, smiling brightly, scampered to his side, "is Petty Officer Second Class Megan Owen. You must be Ensign Thomason. Welcome aboard, sir."

"Yessir," Megan cheeped, offering her own tiny hand for a shake of the ensign's massive one, "Welcome ta th' Deck, Ensign Tiny, er, Thomason, Ensign Thomason, Sir,"

((OOC:Anything?))

"You'll have to forgive, Petty Officer Owen," SCPO Kukonnen chuckled, perhaps a bit uneasily, "She's got a habit of handing out nicknames. I've been ‘Kook' for almost eight months, now." He nudged Megan with an elbow; "Want to tell the Ensign what you call Lt Zai and Ensign P'Tammah?"

"Noooo," Megan had already begun to blush when ‘Ensign Tiny' made it, unchecked, past her lips, but, at Kook's prodding, that faint reddening of her cheeks flared into full life. She tried to will it away but couldn't quite manage it. She wanted to sock Kook in the arm, too, but didn't figure it'd be appropriate with Ensign Thomason standing right there. Instead, she squirmed in her own skin, forced herself to look Thomason in the eye (,not that it was easy from waaaaay down here,), and offered a sheepish little grin. "I am sorry, sir," she offered sincerely, "I've jus' been paddin' my duty shifts with studyin' for my bridge certification an' with th' hulabaloo tha' this mornin's been an' th' hangover I had from las' night an' rememberin' ta set up th' bloomin' ATO parameters before ya reconnect th' IO conduits ta th' bloody ROT I must've somehow shorted out my mind ta mouth filter.

Right, then," she chirped, her smile no longer the sheepish sort as, during the course of that single-breath-spiel, it had reverted to it's standard ‘brilliantly cheery' form, "Back to work for me, before I keep talkin' an' get myself inta trouble, Okay, bye."

With that, Megan skittered off towards Pod 02, leaving a blinking Thomason and a grinning Kukonnen in her wake.

"And that's just full impulse, sir," Kook said after a moment, "You should hear her when she goes to warp."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Sick Bay - 1118

Petty Officer Cook sat at the desk in Sickbay and looked over the files before her. The new Nurses seemed to be quite capable with the choirs that she had given them. Their records said they were all exceptional and so far they seemed to be living up to that rating.

Yeoman Toriak was a typical Vulcan and was efficient and thorough with the records. He had already sorted all of the prospectives for the complete work-ups that Dr. Moore had ordered. He had prioritized them based on several factors which Dana thought might be a bit too thorough but she wasnt going to complain because she didnt see any problem with it either way.

Nurse Peter Adama was more than a pretty face as well. He had went through the inventory system along with Vinay and had even suggested some new techniques for storing and arranging the medical supplies. Dana had agreed to them at once and had told the man that it was a good suggestion. All part of that Positive reinforcement she was working on with her subordinates.

The record on Nurse Miraan had said that she was intelligent as well as beautiful and so far she seemed to be just that. Dana had put her on finding any further information on the physiology of the Kuldar and Rytain diplomats. She had managed to find additional information using the computer database search functions in some creative ways that had not occured to Dana. Again she had told her it was good work and told her to forward the information to Dr. Moore's PADD so she could look at the information at her leisure.

Nurse Reynolds was proving to be a bit of a problem though. Dana had given her the task of checking the operation of Sickbay equipment to ensure it's functions so they would be ready when needed. The crewman had complained that she had drawn the harder job all because she was the lowest rank. Dana had informed her that she was correct and she could start with the Medical BioBeds and then move on to the other equipment such as Tricorders, Laser Scapels, Hyposprays, Dermal Regenerators, etc. The woman grumbled but went about her duties.

Dana had over seen all of their actions as they worked and was impressed with their efficiency. She was pleased as she had expected to get a bunch of nurses that were screwups and only stationed here because no one else wanted them. But it was appearing that they all were competent. Even Crewman Reynolds was proving she knew her job even if she did complain about doing more than her fair share.

Dana planned to work with Reynolds to help her fall in line. She had not found anyone yet that she couldnt whip into shape. Besides Reynolds seemed to have something to prove. That she was good at her job and that could be used to move her in the right direction.

Once Nurse Miraan had given her the info she had found then Dana had assigned her to assist Reynolds with the equipment. It was a bigger job than the others and that is why she had given it to the one with a chip on her shoulder.

Dr. Moore had gone to the staff meeting but she had told Dana that the Ambassadors would arrive aboard at Noon and that the ship would depart an hour later. She planned to have the Sickbay and it's new personnel ready in case they encountered any issues while underway.

(OOC: I assume the Dr. would be a part of that meeting and that she would have told the Head Nurse about the departure plans. If I am wrong I can edit that part out.)