First Officer's Log
Lt Tochi Zai; USS Peregrine: NCC-79288
Stardate 42135.5

At 0800 hours, today, Captain Drake and I met with the command staff of the USS Coronado and the chief delegates from the Kuldar and Rytain contingents - Ambassador D'Lar and Ambassador Threel, respectively - in order to discuss the Ambassadors' itinerary and the role that Peregrine's crew will play where said itinerary is concerned. Per previous communiques to Captain Drake from Starfleet Command (and Captain Jacob's of the Coronado), we went into the meeting with the expectation that our role would be limited and, in fact, we would have little to no contact with the Ambassadors or their attendants for the duration of our assignment as escort to the Coronado. It is, therefore, needless to say that we were quite unprepared for our ship to play host to both Threel and D'Lar.


Initially, we had dismissed the Ambassadors' demands to be quartered aboard "the superior ship" as little more than political posturing - the Kuldar and Rytain people have a long and contentious history, so, any perceived display of superiority by one faction is typically answered in kind by the other - but, now that we have completed a tour of Peregrine's decks in preparation for D'Lar and Threel's imminent arrival, I find myself wondering if there's not more to it than that.


D'Lar's observation that the Peregrine is a "superior ship" as compared to the Coronado isn't entirely untrue. The Saber class does outmatch the older Miranda class, tactically, as it is faster, more maneuverable, and outfitted with uprated weapons systems; however, this is a diplomatic mission, and, for the purposes of space, comfort, and luxury, the Coronado's facilities would have gone a lot farther towards serving the Ambassadors' goals of maintaining an air of visible superiority in the ambassadorial arena. We have our suspicions as to D'Lar's true motives, of course, but are, as yet, uncertain as to Threel. Did the Rytain ambassador request to be quartered aboard the Peregrine simply as a means to ‘save face,' as he professed in this morning's meeting, or, perhaps, are his intentions just as questionable as his Kuldaren counterpart's? Have their respective governments seen, in the Federation's offer to moderate their peace talks, more than a diplomatic opportunity? Is it possible they have decided to set aside generations of acrimony between their peoples, joined forces in some covert attempt to acquire advanced, Starfleet technology or, worse, an entire starship? I can't say for certain but, given the unexpected developments with the Ambassadors, compounded by a similarly confounding transfer of no less than three of Peregrine's department heads on the eve of our undertaking, we find ourselves more than a little uneasy at the prospects of what the next several days may have in store.


Having said that, I have already met two of our three new department heads - Lt Berk, who is replacing Lt Rockatansky as our Chief Tactical Officer, and Lt Lasad, who has assumed the Ops Chief position in the wake of Chell's promotion to Lt Commander and transfer off of the Peregrine - both Berk and Lasad seem to have taken immediately and efficiently to their duties and have been instrumental in preparing for the arrival of the Ambassadors. We have yet to make the acquaintance of Lt Moore - the third new department head, replacing Lt Synklar as our CMO - but, I imagine, that will change in just a few minutes as Captain Drake has scheduled a staff meeting ahead of our reception of the Kuldar and Rytain delegates. Chief Petty Officer Cook, whom I encountered earlier, has met the new Doctor and advises me that, like Berk and Lasad, Moore seems very capable, and friendly, a good trait for a doctor to have, we think.


Maybe I'm overthinking or reading entirely too much into this rapid fire series of events, Then again, past experience dictates that I distrust those instincts at great peril, We shall see.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Shuttlebay 2 - 1035
"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,"

Taking the PADD in hand, Hebert started looking over the requests from Lt. Zai. This V'Lur is a professional, I appreciate the decorum. As he finished, he glanced up and she continued speaking. "SCPO Kukkonen and PO2 Owen are on the flight deck, now, tending to the Type-8's and Type-18's, 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."

"I'm a hands on person, I'll join Kukkonen and Own on the flight deck."

"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."

---

Stepping down the stairs into the bay, Hebert looked around, admiring the pristine condition of all the shuttles, pods, and vehicles around. He noticed the two other people in the bay almost immediately, watching them glance at him and back at each other. Ah, the surprised response. Seems I'm 'the giant' to them. V'Lur was much more disciplined. He smiled inwardly. Moments later, "Officer on deck!" a male voice sounded. "As you were. I"m just here to help and introduce myself."

The male took the iniative. "Good morning, sir," he said, advancing to meet Thomason and extending a hand in a more informal greeting method, "I'm Senior Chief Petty Officer Maarti Kukonnen and this," he continued as the female of the pair smiled largely rushing over to him, "is Petty Officer Second Class Megan Owen. You must be Ensign Thomason. Welcome aboard, sir."

I could crush this man's hand if I wanted. The thought flashed through him before he could help himself, making him smile which he used as a way to appear more genuine, shaking Maarti's hand firmly but still friendly. "I'm Hebert Thomason, but I prefer Hebert," he let the specific pronunciation of Ay-Bear hang for a quarter second before continuing, "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"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," Hebert's deep, powerful laughter rang out. "Ensign Tiny. I'll be honest, that's a new one for me." He carefully accepted her handshake.

"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?"

"Yes, tell me, Petty Officer Second Class Megan Owen. What do you call Ensign Vaela P'Tammah and our Executive Officer, Lieutenant Tochi Zai." Hebert hardened his face, enunciating the formal titles of each name used, staring hard down at the tiny woman.

(OOC: Hrm)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Ready Room - 1045

Silas remained in the Ready Room for a couple of minutes after the end of the meeting with Dio Lasad. His first thought had been to accompany the new Ops Chief to the staff meeting, but it had occurred to him that the Risan might appreciate a few moments in private to collect his thoughts before having to face the rest of the department heads. As he waited, Silas relived the conversation.

On one hand, he felt at least somewhat better about the situation after meeting Lieutenant Lasad. The man had seemed genuinely surprised about the stranger aspects of the transfer - namely, the sealed service record and the associated confusion - and all of the Risan's responses seemed genuine. That said, Silas was far from fully satisfied with the encounter. The Captain considered himself to be a pretty good judge of character, and believed that it was a skill that had served him well in his career.

Dio Lasad was lying... or, more likely, was not telling the entire truth. Drake's concerns that the Ops Chief had been some sort of plant or was somehow related to this diplomatic mission were satisfied, but he felt more than a little certain that Lasad was not sharing everything that there was to share. Of course, the Captain mused, there are items about myself that I would prefer were kept private...

Shaking his head, Drake stood and headed for the Captain's Mess.


***********************************************

((OOC: assuming that all department heads are attending))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Mess - 1100

Deja vu, Drake observed. Barely a day had passed since he had met with his department heads, with the content of that meeting largely the same as the one he was about to hold. Never one to advocate for meetings simply to have meetings, it chafed the Captain to occupy time like this when there was so much to be done. Truthfully, though, it could not be helped; with half of the departments now under new personnel, it would have been foolish to proceed on a delicate mission without the staff being properly briefed.

Still, no need to waste unnecessary time, Silas thought to himself. "Thank you all for coming," he spoke. "Please, hit the replicator before we begin. The next few hours promise to be quite busy; there's no need to face them on an empty stomach."

Once everyone had obtained their lunch from the replicator, Silas took a moment to look around the table. As always, he sat at the head, with Lieutenant Zai to his right. However, both faces on the same side of the table as the Trill Executive Officer were new; Lieutenant Berk, followed by Doctor Moore. To his left sat Lieutenant Lasad, followed by Lieutenant Tesenblen and Lieutenant Commander Thorson in their normal spots.

Silas was pleased to note that, turnover or no, everyone had been on time. Not that he had expected otherwise; discipline and punctuality were traits favored all across Starfleet, though some might suggest that Drake himself seemed to relish them more than some.

The Captain gazed out over the table and spoke, indicating newcomers as he did so. "First of all, as everyone is well aware, we have had some rather significant changes here aboard the Peregrine. Before we go any further, I would like to officially welcome Lieutenant Dio Lasad, our new Chief of Operations. Next up is Lieutenant Mathias Berk, our new Chief Tactical Officer. Last, but not least, is Doctor Louise Moore, our new Chief Medical Officer. Finally, please note that Lieutenant Lasad will also be filling the role of our new Second Officer. Please make them all feel welcome; I am certain that we will manage any possible bumps in the road as we learn to mesh together in the pursuit of our shared duty."

Silas cleared his throat. "Now then. As those of you who were here yesterday are already aware, our current mission is to serve as en escort to the USS Coronado as she flies to the Gamera system in the hope of brokering a peace between the Kuldar and Rytain peoples. Our original orders from Starfleet Command were quiet clear - we were to be an escort, nothing more, and were to have little to no contact with the diplomats themselves."

The Captain allowed a half frown as he continued. "This morning, Lieutenant Zai and I met with the brass of the USS Coronado and the two ambassadors of note. The Kuldar ambassador observed that our ship was, in fact, more powerful than the Coronado, and essentially demanded to be berthed aboard the Peregrine, despite understanding that our diplomatic facilities are less than stellar. The Rytain ambassador appeared to be caught up in some sort of posturing, and followed suit with a similar demand. They would not consider the protests of Captain Jacobs, and therefore, we find ourselves as the home for two enemy ambassadors for the next three to four days. I understand that Lieutenant Lasad has done a stellar job so far in getting their quarters configured - thank you, Lieutenant."

Silas sighed a bit. "I do not trust either of the ambassadors for a moment. My fear is that there is some ulterior motive that we are not yet aware of. As such, I want to be sure that every precaution is taken. I want an armed escort with each ambassador at all times. We must be polite and accommodating, but the only time that an ambassador may be alone is within their own quarters. I want security measures on the turbolifts - the ambassadors may only have access to decks two through five unless I say otherwise. They may only come on the bridge as my personal guests. We need containment fields to block off corridors to sensitive areas in the allowed decks - at no point should the ambassadors be able to physically access any vital ship systems, shuttlecraft, the cargo bays, or the transporters. Crew quarters are likewise off limits."

Drake smile ruefully. "That said, again, these people need to be treated with the utmost respect. They get priority access to the holosuites, to our recreational facilities, etc. Please show them all possible hospitality."

The Captain finally took a bite of his sandwich, then continued. "Now, I will hit the high points of the mission again."

The holographic projector came to life, displaying a three dimensional model of the Gamera system in relation to Starbase 118.

"The Kuldar and Rytain have been at war for generations. Peace will not only serve humanitarian purposes, but also potentially make a new source of Dilithium available to the Federation - so Starfleet has great interest in our success."

Silas paused for a moment, and the holographs changed to depict Kuldar and Rytain vessels, along with tactical readouts for each. "As we discussed yesterday, it would seem that both the Kuldar and Rytain are close to a century behind us, technology-wise... at least in terms of combat effectiveness. Their primary shipboard armaments appear to be laser cannons, and their shielding is likewise inferior to our own. Our presence is expected to be enough of a deterrent to ensure that both sides honor the truce for at least the duration of the summit. Remember, though, that neither society is a stranger to conflict, so we need to be on our guard. While the Rytain are somewhat sympathetic to the Federation, the Kuldar do not share that sentiment."

The Captain fixated on Berk. "Lieutenant Berk, aside form the security concerns on the ambassadors, I want you to further research the capabilities of the Kuldar and Rytain vessels, any known battle tactics they may employ, that sort of thing. I gave this task to Lieutenant Rockastansky yesterday; you may want to confer with your aTAC to see what has been discovered. I want us fully prepared in the event that this does devolve into shooting."

((OOC: assuming some reasonable response))

Next, he glanced to his left, to Lasad. "Lieutenant Lasad, I understand that you have the modifications well in hand. That said, I want you to confer with Lieutenant Berk to see if we need to do any special modulation with the shields to maximize our resistance to a potential attack. Also, please review your Damage Control plan to be sure that we are ready, and coordinate that with Commander Thorson."

((OOC: assuming some reasonable response))

He glanced at Thorson next. "I noticed that the power output seems to have normalized. Thank you, Commander. As we discussed before, please have a plan in place to keep Engineering secure above and beyond what our Security teams may be offering."

((OOC: assuming some reasonable response))

Next was the Chief Science Officer. "Lieutenant Tesenblen, I know that you have your own concerns at the moment that do not impact the current mission. I do expect to see your report today, however."

((OOC: assuming some reasonable response))

Then, the gaze went to the Doctor. "Doctor Moore, I had asked that Medical prepare a disaster plan, just in case we ran into high casualty or injury numbers. Please put together a list of non-medical personnel that may have cross training as corpsmen, or even those with first aid training, as well as a plan on how to employ their skills. How would you triage large numbers, how you could handle sickbay overflow, that sort of thing. Obviously I hope that this is merely an academic exercise, but I'm a strong believer in preparation."

((OOC: assuming some reasonable response))

Finally, he looked to the First Officer. "Lieutenant Zai, as you know, the ambassadors are due aboard at 1200, and we are scheduled to depart at 1300. If you see any gaps in our preparation, or have ideas on way to improve it - please speak up."

((OOC: assuming any response))

The Captain sat back in his chair. "All right, then. Do we have any questions? If there anything that I should know?"

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Mess - 1100
His ‘supervisory' tour of Peregrine's decks completed and an impromptu log entry submitted as a result of his musings during that tour, Lt Zai sat, now, in his typical chair to the right of Drake's, staring out the window at the bustle of spacedock activity beyond. His mind turned over the thoughts and misgivings he had come to have about this mission, still, and, despite the preparedness he had observed during his walk-through of the ship, something in his gut twisted and turned, gnawing at him as if, in all his research of and interaction with the Kuldar and Rytain, he had missed some small but crucial detail, and, as the hour of the ambassadors' arrival drew closer, Tochi found himself almost lost in the pursuit of what that particular element might be.

What type of game is afoot, here, he fumed, There's something off in all of this but we just can't put our finger on it,

"Thank you all for coming," the Captain's greeting snatched him from his reverie for an instant, "Please, hit the replicator before we begin. The next few hours promise to be quite busy; there's no need to face them on an empty stomach."

Agreed, Tochi thought as he took advantage of Drake's offer and procured a lunch from the replicator, the hours or the ambassadors. He allowed himself to slip back into his musings, then, chasing whatever elusive piece of this puzzle he felt he had missed through his mind. He had almost lost himself in it, again, when the Captain launched the meeting by officially introducing the new faces around the table.

",welcome Lieutenant Dio Lasad, our new Chief of Operations, Lieutenant Mathias Berk, our new Chief Tactical Officer, Doctor Louise Moore, our new Chief Medical Officer,"

Zai had tried to extract himself completely from the thoughts he had been chasing but, somehow, even these introductions provided little more than a subtle course correction in his pursuit. After all, these new faces and the abruptness of their transfer to the Peregrine had to be, at least, a small piece in a larger puzzle, didn't they? Which puzzle, though, he wondered, as he absently nibbled a piece of pineapple from the fruit plate he'd selected for lunch, The ambassadorial one or the one which paints the picture illuminating this apparently widespread acrimony towards Silas among the Starfleet brass? His gaze flicked from face to face of the new arrivals, offering each a welcoming smile and polite nod of greeting as they were introduced, and back to the Captain as he continued on.

",As those of you who were here yesterday are already aware, our current mission is to serve as en escort to the USS Coronado as she flies to the Gamera system in the hope of brokering a peace between the Kuldar and Rytain peoples,"

Are they truly two separate puzzles, Tochi couldn't help but wonder, sipping from a glass of iced chai, or, perhaps, two halves of a much larger one? The more he thought on it, the more frustrated he became. None of it made sense and, yet, in some fashion, all of it could if only he could find the proper bearing from which to approach it. Frill! This is like trying to navigate the Badlands blindfolded and with no sensors!

The Captain went on to verbalize his own misgivings, which closely mirrored Zai's, as to the ambassadors and their motives, and then proceeded to outline his expectations as to security and diplomacy for the duration of the Kuldar and Rytain's stay. A good number of Drake's requests had already been put in place or were in the process of being implemented, Zai knew, so he simply nodded faintly and continued sorting his mental puzzle-pieces and attempted to put them together. As Captain Drake brought the holoprojector online and reviewed the mission parameters he had outlined the day before, Tochi found himself scrutinizing every aspect of the displays - from the map of the Gamera system to the tactical schematics of the vessels associated with the parties involved - looking for anything he might have missed in his prior reviews of the information.

There has to be something,

As the briefing part of the meeting came to a finish and Drake began his "around the table" delegation and dissemination of orders to the department heads, Tochi had to force his puzzle building to the back of his mind so he would be sure to hear anything in those words that he hadn't considered. Most all of it, of course, was exactly what he would have expected; the only exception being the directive imparted to Lt Tesenblen. It was, from Tochi's perspective, vague at best, and he hadn't been made aware of any special projects underway in the Science department, so he arched a mildly curious brow and made a note to ask about it later. If it was anything critical, surely, he would have been updated before now, Nothing pressing, we're sure, he figured, but it never hurts to know what's going on.

"Lieutenant Zai," Drake called for his attention, then, "as you know, the ambassadors are due aboard at 1200, and we are scheduled to depart at 1300. If you see any gaps in our preparation, or have ideas on way to improve it - please speak up."

"Yes, sir," Zai answered, "In our tour of the ship, this morning, we didn't observe any gaps. Things appear to be moving along ahead of schedule, in fact. That being said, Flight Control has all but completed their preparations in regards to the flight deck and auxiliary craft," his gaze skimmed the faces around the table, "so, if any of those personnel can assist in other departments, don't hesitate to call on them as needed."

The Captain sat back in his chair. "All right, then. Do we have any questions? Is there anything that I should know?"

"Yes, Captain," Lt Zai said, then, "Like you, sir, we have very little certainty in regards to the ambassadors' motives for coming aboard, and that distrust is heightened by the fact that only D'Lar and Threel will quartered on the Peregrine. The remainders of their contingents, as we understand it, are to remain aboard the Coronado. We are troubled that these arrangements place Kuldar and Rytain operatives - for lack of a better term at the moment - on both ships and, if there are ulterior motives, either individually or jointly," He shrugged and sighed; "A lot could happen in the three or four days it will take to reach the Gamera system and, given the history of and between these two groups, we don't think that their divvying up of their personnel between the Peregrine and the Corondo is a mere coincidence. We've reviewed the files on D'Lar and Threel but, given all of this, we'd really like to take and in-depth look at the dossiers for all of their personnel."

((OOC: Room for interjection throughout, of course. Edits and backposts as needed.))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Bridge and Turbolift, enroute to Captain Mess - 1045
Dio made his way out the Captain Drake's ready room, maintaining a level of professional calm as he went directly to the turbolift. He was not fleeing the ready room. Nosir. Inside and briefly alone, Dio rubbed his face with both hands to get his color back.

Why in the name of all the moons and lights of the universe are my records sealed? Crap on a warp core! The Captain thought I was Intelligence! He probably still does! I didn't exactly give him compelling reasons for why it might be?! I'll be lucky if I don't end up
Lets be honest. I can't even give myself compelling reasons. I haven't done anything though! I like to think I'm a decent officer. I did pretty well on the Melbourne. OK, I've done some people, but nothing that would get my records sealed. Could....could I be some kind of secret agent and not know it??
Dio shook his head to clear it, forcing himself to stand up straight and pull his uniform taunt. "Don't be daft Dio." he scolded himself, before the doors of the turbolift opened. Some mysteries he'd have to sort out later.

At the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky if I'm not chief operations of a garbage scow by the end of the week.
Walking out of the turbolift, he walked directly toward the Mess, head held high. For a firing squad or whatever else might come his way.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Mess - 1100
Dio scooted into the room ten minutes early, the slender lean man nodding politely to both the familiar and unfamiliar faces. The second officer chair on the captain's left was unoccupied and he (hesitantly) took the seat. Letting his data padd rest on the table as he leaned back somewhat comfortably. While business was business, finding himself sitting across from their extremely curious and odd First Officer was at least a pleasant distraction from his own turmoil.

At the captains reminder (and his rumbling stomach reminding him that he'd had nothing but coffee for the last day and a half), he quickly got himself a plate of steamed fish and rice covered in bitter herbs and fresh lemon. Forcing himself to eat with dignity and not like a starving man.

"...Before we go any further, I would like to officially welcome Lieutenant Dio Lasad, our new Chief of Operations..."
Dio offered a warm smile and wave to those assembled, but did not speak right now while the captain was still briefing them. This mission certainly seemed like it had gone sideways before they'd even left dock. His own personal problems aside, it all seemed very suspicious. Lasad was attentively taking notes on his data padd while eating.

Drake smile ruefully. "That said, again, these people need to be treated with the utmost respect. They get priority access to the holosuites, to our recreational facilities, etc. Please show them all possible hospitality."
Lasad took a note on his data padd Brief hospitality staff and the logistics team on special TLC requirements. Best behavior.
The captain went on, discussing the details of the mission, Dio listening attentively as the captain's gaze turned directly toward him.

"Lieutenant Lasad, I understand that you have the modifications well in hand. That said, I want you to confer with Lieutenant Berk to see if we need to do any special modulation with the shields to maximize our resistance to a potential attack. Also, please review your Damage Control plan to be sure that we are ready, and coordinate that with Commander Thorson."
"Of course sir." Dio looked down the table, nodding at Thorson and the gentleman the captain indicated as 'Berk'. Clearing his throat and setting aside his silverware very nearly before continuing.

"To be frank sirs. Based on your initial description and tactical information, I personally don't see that the ambassadors respective races are a direct threat to the ship. Technologically they don't seem to have the capability. What I am concerned with based on this, is any third parties who might have either have a interest in the Dilithium, or is invested in the conflict between these two races continuing. Such third parties would certainly be interested in seeing this summit go (if I might be plain) straight to hell. Sir"


((OOC: I'M BAAAAACK! Feel free to interject, I can backpost around ect.))

((Yeah back!))
Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Sick Bay - 1045
The morning proved as eventful and long as the eve, preparing for a new position and making the rounds. And still, Louise had so much more to tackle before a proper lunch and meeting with Thorson over the odd pulse and pod in the reports from the Science department. Setting aside her cup of finished tea and taking up the PADD, she sought the main chamber of Sick Bay to find everything in perfect order with Dana leading the charge.

Toriak gave his usual nod, such efficiency he brought together records and forms for Dana as needed. I never had a doubt about him. But hopefully the others prove as noteworthy. The other nurses had a mix of looks on their faces, from chagrin for being chastised on timeliness, to appreciation of such a put together ship and crew. Never one to mince words or take credit from others, Louise found herself quite surprised and refreshed from the scene.

Nearing Dana, she addressed the petty officer with enough volume for the others to hear. "Head Nurse, Dana, as always you are fastidious and well-prepared. I knew the arrivals were in perfect hands. No cock ups yet, everything in order?"

((OOC assuming a response of info))

Louise gave a smile full of warmth that filled her eyes, giving a supportive nod to Dana. "You are far ahead of any other Petty Officer and Head Nurse I've worked with prior. Continue as you were, Dana, with my blessings. I must see to the head officers meeting at 1100, then I shall return. We can meet with the nurses and tech after, reviewing current supplies and updates on our current mission. Of course, continue with your plans of scheduling physicals. I'll bring it up at the meeting."

(( OOC assuming a response))

She paused to look at her PADD, raising her eyes back to Dana. "We also may need to consider some new medical tests for a crewman that experienced an accident. He has a mechanical prosthetic. I'll meet with the patient early in the afternoon to get a preliminary report and information on the prosthetic."

((OOC respond or not is cool))

"And I'm off. See you shortly."

As she sought out the meeting in the Captain's mess. I wonder how long Dana has held her position? May need to review that with the Captain.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Mess - 1100
Louise gave a smile as she entered the mess making note of Silas and giving a nod. As his Louise gave a smile as she entered the mess making note of Silas and giving a nod. As his mention of a lunch, she could not deny the slight growl of thanks in her stomach. Speaking low, she ordered a stew and thick bread to enjoy through the meeting. She took her place next to a gentleman she had yet to meet, with an array of other faces, mostly human, and a,trill! The marks upon his temples, along cheeks, oh she had never met one! What luck!

"Good day, all." She spoke with a British accent, settling and awaiting the captain's words. She had light weak blue eyes, brown hair in a bound up braided bun with a scattering of white, and a smile that creased into fine wrinkles and laughlines.

As the captain addressed them all, Louise gave a smile and little wave around as her name was mentioned as the new CMO. His words about the arriving dignitaries gave far more information, much of which she had to silently agree. The entire situation was a possible dog's dinner ready to explode, without any need of politics required to note it.

She listened in to the captain's review of the two peoples Rytain and Kulder, taking up her PADD with an earnest look.

He spoke of concerns, and continued to look to each giving viewpoints and setting tasks. She had waited for this very moment. Then Zai spoke of the two peoples and what motives there could be. Louise leaned forward, looking to the Trill then to Lasad, to the PADD, and back again.

"Never had I found such diverse cultures when I looked to their medical information and lifestyles. If ever two had reason beyond simple living to clash... Lt Zai, hello, ah yes I think you right. There is certainly something brewing betwixt them, either a chance to hurt each other, simple pride, or a shared motive. Perhaps not a direct threat to the ship, Lt Lasad, but certainly each other. So, I have information you may need for their day to day."

She tapped at the PADD sending the information around. "The Kuldar have a diet and custom of cooking cuts of raw meat from hunts on heated metal plates, dipping into sauces made from the blood of their kills. Seemingly fine, except the Rytain are vegetarian, though they do eat whole tiny birds. They enjoy a diet fully of vegetables and fruits but cut into complicated designs. Just having them eat together could prove ...interesting?"

((OOC assuming chats, responses))

She continued letting that sink in. "For medical, thankfully the Kuldar share a similar blood work of Terran Human. Though we need cultures and donors from their own kind, we can merge it with our own stores with slight modifications. They won't feel right as rain, but they will live with such transfusions. As to Rytains, they are,interesting. And judging from the family the ambassador may be from, the highest ranking are injected by ji'tains, a form of toxin eating parasite. Normally this helps from assassinations among their houses, but, well, it might lead to interesting situations if they tried to poison the Kuldar and themselves, but living through it." She glanced to Horatio on this last and his science lab 2.

((OOC some folks might respond, if not no worries))

She then returned her glance to the captain. "I will certainly review the skills of the crew. We have a full complement of nurses, one with some pathology training and could assist me. I will be reviewing the medical histories and needs of the two races with my staff today, including triage needs. To keep them on their toes, and to update records, I would like to start scheduling physicals and updated medical scans of the crew." She raised a hand, still giving a warm smile to the gathered. "We'll work with each of you make sure the rotation doesn't interfere with the running of the ship, or your own time too much."

((OOC other responses and the like!))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Sick Bay - 1045
Nearing Dana, Louise addressed the petty officer with enough volume for the others to hear. "Head Nurse, Dana, as always you are fastidious and well-prepared. I knew the arrivals were in perfect hands. No cock ups yet, everything in order?"

"No Sir," Dana replied in an assuring tone, "they should know better."

Lowering her voice so only the Doctoer could hear, "They seem a capable bunch. I think they will do fine."

Louise gave a smile full of warmth that filled her eyes, giving a supportive nod to Dana. "You are far ahead of any other Petty Officer and Head Nurse I've worked with prior. Continue as you were, Dana, with my blessings. I must see to the head officers meeting at 1100, then I shall return. We can meet with the nurses and tech after, reviewing current supplies and updates on our current mission. Of course, continue with your plans of scheduling physicals. I'll bring it up at the meeting."

"We will have all the supply manifests and equipment status by the time the meeting is finished," Dana assured her.

She paused to look at her PADD, raising her eyes back to Dana. "We also may need to consider some new medical tests for a crewman that experienced an accident. He has a mechanical prosthetic. I'll meet with the patient early in the afternoon to get a preliminary report and information on the prosthetic."

"Very well Sir," Dana said with a slightly puzzled look as if this was all news to her.

"And I'm off. See you shortly." Loiuse said and left Sickbay.

Dana turned to the other nurses and just raised an eyebrow and the Nurses who had been listening went back to their tasks.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - CSO Office 1040
Horatio leaned back in his chair, contemplating the events of the morning. He had met the new Doctor, argued with Dalia, let his ASCO discipline one of his specialists under his guidance, and now he had a meeting to attend with the Captain not even a day after a prior meeting which, unquestionably, is concerning the exact same topic, just in different words.

What a headache. Horatio rubbed his temples as a noise indicated another presence. Glancing up, he saw Lauren standing in the doorway. "Lauren, come in." She made her way into the office with her hand obviously behind her back hiding something. Amused, Horatio asked, "Back itching that much?"

"No sir." She said smiling. "I brought you something." Cocking an eyebrow in surprise, he motioned for her to show him. With a tight-lipped, factious smile, she shook her head. "You have to guess."

Curiosity was, easily, the strongest virtue Horatio possessed, and the way Lauren was acting made it even worse. "Really... Just show me, it's been a bit of a morning."

"Come on, Lieutenant, just one guess." She half pleaded.

Covering a sigh, he leaned back again and threw out, "Is it a bottle of bourbon?" He said with a glimmer of hope.

"You got it!" she exclaimed. Lurching forward in surprise, he asked, "Really?!"

"Nope." She crushed his dreams and pulled her hand from behind her and revealed a potted plant with a single flower growing from it. "From my personal collection. Gladiolus Trip-"

"triphyllus. Sword Lily." He looked up from the plant and met her eyes. "Why?"

Setting the plant on his desk, she began, "Ages ago, you could argue thousands of years, there was a symbolic meaning to plants. Giving a gift of an iris, for instance, could mean the bearer brought good news. Lavender could mean devotion but it could also mean distrust. There used to be a language dedicated to flowers."

Horatio found himself at a loss to what the flower before him meant.

She continued, "Gladiolus was given to men in Ancient Roman culture on Earth as a sign of a strength of their character, to honor their convictions. I'm giving it to you for allowing me to be the primary on the Wolfsbane and not taking it from me to give to someone else. This is my thanks."

For the first time in a very long time, Lieutenant Horatio Tesenblen found himself at a complete loss for words.

"I know you have business to take care of, thank you for taking time to see me. Good day, sir." She smiled.

Smiling himself, "It's my pleasure, I assure you. Good day, Miss Crane." She excused herself from his office. I have to admit, I did not see that coming.
--

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Captain's Mess 1055
Horatio arrived in a decidedly better mood than he was in no more than a half hour ago. Taking the same place he was in the day before, he glanced around the table seeing two unfamiliar faces.

He nodded politely in greeting to the rest of the staff and made small talk until the Captain began the meeting. "Thank you all for coming. Please, hit the replicator before we begin. The next few hours promise to be quite busy; there's no need to face them on an empty stomach."

That is a good idea. Seating himself back at the table, he made himself comfortable.

"...I would like to officially welcome Lieutenant Dio Lasad, our new Chief of Operations..." Horatio mentally catalogued the new Ops Chief. "...Next up is Lieutenant Mathias Berk, our new Chief Tactical Officer..." I'm sure he and I will be discussing the garden soon enough, once he finds out what it holds... "Last, but not least, is Doctor Louise Moore, our new Chief Medical Officer." Horatio smiled genuinely at her. Sweet mercy, as beautiful as ever...
Horatio's reverie was ended as the Captain continued, discussing his concerns with the two ambassadors and issuing orders to each officer individually before reaching him. "Lieutenant Tesenblen, I know that you have your own concerns at the moment that do not impact the current mission. I do expect to see your report today, however."

"Aye, Captain."

As the Captain continued the rounds, he finished with the CMO who shared her thoughts about the medical-side of the ambassadors, sending information to everyone's PADD, which Horatio glanced over while she spoke. "Normally this helps from assassinations among their houses, but, well, it might lead to interesting situations if they tried to poison the Kuldar and themselves, but living through it." As Dr. Moore finished, she glanced at Horatio. She's concerned about the Garden. I'm going to have to watch her, she seems to be a bit more concerned than is necessary.
Intruding on the conversation, Horatio began by asking the Captain, "I meant to ask, would you like to do anything about the Garden, given that it is on deck 2, which the ambassadors, as you just said, are allowed access to?" He glanced at Lt. Berk. "Dr. Moore and I were discussing the matter earlier this morning and she brought up a good point that we don't know how the contents of the Garden will affect the ambassadors."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Bridge - 1030

Mathias glanced at the Chronometre at tactical, he'd been on the bridge for the better part of an hour, in which he'd finally had the opportunity to meet his XO and gotten to know one other person on his team, Ensign Blackmon, who he had gotten on reasonably well so far, he had relied on her knowledge of the ship heavily in drawing up some of the security plans. There wasn't all that much that he could get done up on the bridge and if he made it back to his office now he could skim everything he and Reid had put together before the staff meeting.

"Ensign, I'll leave you to it." Signing out of the tactical console and stepping aside to allow Blackmon to take over.

"Aye, sir" she responded smartly.

With that he made his way to the turbolift.


***************************************************


(OCC if anyone wants to say anything go for it)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, CTO's Office - 1050

(OCC Opportunity for Reid and Berk to have a quick meeting before the meeting of you'd like.)

Having read over nothing but security briefs and security plans the better part of the morning, Mathias felt as if the text from the screen in front of him mind as well have been etched into his eyes. Mathias grabbed the PADD on his desk the security plans and contingencies onto a PADD and locked his terminal, the screen winking out into darkness. In a little over an hour these plans were going to be put to the test, if anything went wrong the buck stopped with him. PADD in hand Mathias left his office as he walked he tapped his communicator.

Mathias got up and made for the door, which swished silently as he approached flooding the now darkened office once again.

*****************************************************

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captain's Mess - 1055

It was only a short hop from his office to the mess hall, and having spent the better part of the day before wandering the ship's corridor he was feeling better about navigating the narrow halls of his new posting. He had arrived around the same time as the rest of the senior staff and he placed his PADD on the table next to Lieutenant Zai and walked to the Replicator to fetch something for Lunch.

"Kase Spätzle with Pork Crackling and Sauerkraut." Mathias said, leaning against the replicator and scanning the room, putting faces to names and ranks from personal files. The computer chimed and his meal materialised, Mathias grabbed the bowl and went back to his seat.
*******************************************************

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Captains Mess - 1100

The meeting began in earnest once everyone had grabbed something to eat. The Captain scanned the room as he spoke.

"First of all, as everyone is well aware, we have had some rather significant changes here aboard the Peregrine. Before we go any further, I would like to officially welcome Lieutenant Dio Lasad, our new Chief of Operations. Next up is Lieutenant Mathias Berk, our new Chief Tactical Officer. Last, but not least, is Doctor Louise Moore, our new Chief Medical Officer. Finally, please note that Lieutenant Lasad will also be filling the role of our new Second Officer. Please make them all feel welcome; I am certain that we will manage any possible bumps in the road as we learn to mesh together in the pursuit of our shared duty." The Captain paused, clearing his throat.

****
The Captain turned to Mathias "Lieutenant Berk, aside from the security concerns on the ambassadors, I want you to further research the capabilities of the Kuldar and Rytain vessels, any known battle tactics they may employ, that sort of thing. I gave this task to Lieutenant Rockastansky yesterday; you may want to confer with your aTAC to see what has been discovered. I want us fully prepared in the event that this does devolve into shooting."

Mathias nodded in agreement "Aye sir, I have our preparations here." Passing the PADD to the captain as he spoke. "And Lt. Reid has passed along both him and Lieutenant Rockastansky have to date, I've only had enough time give it a glance over. I expect I'll have a tactical plan in place before we cross into the Gamera system."

(OCC I'm not going to rehash the whole meeting but if anyone has any responses to anything thing I've said I can edit accordingly.)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Transporter room one - 1155

((OOC: I am taking the liberty of assuming that the mentioned characters are on hand for this post. If you feel that they should not be, I can edit.))

Commander Drake stood at ease, flanked by Lieutenant Zai, Lieutenant Berk, and Lieutenant Lasad. All four men were in full dress uniform for the occasion.

A wry smile touched the corner of the Captain's mouth. "All right, gentlemen - it's showtime." He continued with unnecessary advice. "Remember to show our best manners; Lieutenant Berk, I want the security detail for each ambassador to feel like an escort, not a warden."

((OOC: assuming acknowledgement or the like))

The Vulcan petty officer at the transporter controls looked up. "We have contact from Starbase one eighteen, Captain. They are requesting permission for two to beam aboard."

Drake nodded. "Our guests are right on time, Mister Tolaris. Permission granted, please beam them aboard."

The transporter technician nodded. "Order acknowledged, Captain. Energizing now."

For a few moments, the space above the transporter pad shimmered, then quickly materialized into two humanoid shapes - ambassadors Threel and D'lar. Both the Rytain and Kuldar representatives looked exactly as they had for the morning's meeting, though each did possess luggage for the trip.

Drake stepped forward and gave a formal bow. "Ambassador Threel, Ambassador D'lar - on behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I hereby welcome you aboard the USS Peregrine. You met my Executive Officer, Lieutenant Zai, this morning. Please allow me to introduce you to my Chief of Operations, Lieutenaant Lasad, as well as my Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Berk." Drake indicated each in turn before continuing.

"Lieutenant Lasad has personally tended to your quarters to assure that they are as comfortable as we can make them, though if you require anything whatsoever, you have only to ask. Lieutenant Berk will be providing each of you with your own personal bodyguards for the duration of your stay; they will serve as escorts and personal security for you at all times."

Ambassador D'lar chuckled slightly. "You mean, Captain, that you are assigning someone to keep an eye on us while we are on board, to keep us out of trouble, yes?"

Silas found himself taken aback, but before he could answer, the Rytain ambassador had interjected. "And by doing so, you can of course give lip service towards protecting us from one another." Threel cast a sideways glance at D'lar.

The Kuldar ambassador grinned widely. "Do not apologize, Captain. Were I in your place, I would do the same - but not be so polite about it."

The Rytain ambassador nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I would not begrudge you your duty. Show us to our quarters, please."

Drake shook his head, amazed. Could something possibly be going the our way, for once?

**********************************************


Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Main Engineering - 1215

Nikolai Vadimevich Toporov was elbow deep in an access panel, cursing under his breath in Russian at a stubborn, hard to reach relay. The damned thing had begun to go out - for the third time in two months - causing intermittent power fluctuations to one of the display units. He strongly considered drawing the phaser that Security was insisting that crew in sensitive systems carry during the current mission, and using it to perform more permanent adjustments; at least his knuckles would be safe from further cuts if he were confined to the brig.

"How much longer on that one, Nikolai?" asked Commander Thorson as the Chief busied himself with flow control on one of the plasma relays.

Toporov bit back a profanity-laced reply and instead stated as diplomatically as he could manage between gritted teeth, "I should have it within the next few minutes, comrade."

Thorson nodded. "Carry on, then."

The big Commander stretched for a moment and frowned slightly as if he had a bit of an uncomfortable catch in his back. Next, he made a fist with his cybernetic arm and brought it down, hard, onto the console.

The sudden, unexpected boom from the impact caused Toporov to jump, resulting in multiple cut knuckles. This time, Nikolai Vadimevich did not muffle his curses; his blood boiled as he jerked the wounded appendage from the access panel. He cut his glance to Thorson, who had raised the cybernetic limb again, then crashed it against the panel another time; sparks flew for several meters, and chunks of metal and glass scattered with them. "Commander?" the petty officer asked, shock written all over his face.

Thorson did not reply. The chief engineer's eyes were rolled back in his head as he spun on his heel, took two strides, and leveled another console.

"Commander!" Toporov exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Thorson turned again, but this time, headed directly for the sensor technician. Toporov's eyes widened, and without thinking, he drew the phaser at his hip. The big Russian felt icy fear grip his guts - he knew well that the cybernetic limb could shatter bones, liquefy flesh. Had the Commander lost his mind?

"Nyet! Commander, stop!" he exclaimed. Thorson did not respond, instead coming closer, and Toporov raised his weapon.

Suddenly, Thorson made a choking noise and began to convulse. The chief engineer fell to the deck, where he spasmed and writhed, occasionally flailing around. Toporov dared not approach too close, as the cybernetic arm seemed to possess a destructive mind of its own, swiping and smashing at the deck and anything close enough to reach. Instead, Nikolai Vadimevich hit his commbadge.

"Petty Officer Toporov to Sickbay! Doctor Moore, we have a medical emergency in main engineering - Commander Thorson is having some sort of seizure!"

PO Dana Cook was sitting at the desk in Sickbay finalizing the list of crewmen physical workups to send to the Doctor for her final approval. She had released the new Nurses to go to lunch but had told them to report back here afterwards for a staff meeting with the Doctor. There she planned to reveal the daily work schedule to them and what was expected of them when on the job and when off.

Crewman Reynolds had elected to finish up the last piece of equipment, a Dermal Regenerator that seemed to be a tad out of calibration, before she took lunch. It was Cook and Reynolds in the Sickbay when the call came in.

=/\=Petty Officer Toporov to Sickbay! Doctor Moore, we have a medical emergency in main engineering - Commander Thorson is having some sort of seizure!=/\=

Dana jumped to her feet and hit her comm badge, "This is PO Cook on the way. Dr Moore ... Crewman Reynolds and myself are in route."

Crewman Reynolds had stopped what she was doing and listened and then surprising PO Cook by springing into action and grabbing the Medical Kit from it's station and headed towards the door.

Dana paused at the door and nodded approvingly as she had thought she would have to tell the Crewman what do. She only had to pause for a couple seconds before Reynolds hurried after her as she trotted out the door towards the turbolift.

"MEDICAL EMERGENCY!" Dana yelled at a few crew that were in the hallway, "CLEAR THE WAY" People moved over to let the two pass and enter the turbolift.

"Main Engineering!" She said as they entered and she stood impatiently as the turbolift seemed to take an unusually long amount of time to get them there as it was only 3 decks away. When the doors swished open Dana led the way as they jumped into action to handle the Medical Emergency.

(OOC: Stopping here so the Doctor can post. If she wants to arrive first that is fine with me. Will take direction from her once on scene. If the Doc isn't there already, Dana will take charge and have everyone move back and her and Reynolds will try to determine the problem with Thorson)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Lt. Berk's Quarters - 1150

Mathias stepped out the doors of his quarters, smoothing his uniform and adjusting his phaser on his belt, with the door to his quarters swishing faintly behind him.

"Whom ever designed our ceremonial dress definitely didn't have security personnel in mind."
The phaser was more a show of authority than a show of force, he was the chief tactical officer and he felt he should look the part, even if his dress uniform precluded him from being effective in a fight.

"Deck 3, transporter room one" Mathias said as he entered the turbolift, he felt car accelerate briefly before its inertial dampeners fully compensated for the sudden acceleration.

---------------------------------------------

The turbolift doors opened in front of Mathias and he stepped into the corridor smoothing his uniform one last time as he walked the short distance to the transporter room. The VIP escorts were posted outside the transporter room, standing at attention as he approached, he nodded to them and made for the doors of the transporter room which opened in front of him and Mathias saw that the Captain, Lieutenant Zai and Lieutenant Lasad were already waiting, he took his place next to them.

----------------------------------------------

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Transporter room one - 1155


A wry smile touched the corner of the Captain's mouth. "All right, gentlemen - it's showtime." He continued with unnecessary advice. "Remember to show our best manners; Lieutenant Berk, I want the security detail for each ambassador to feel like an escort, not a warden."

"Aye, sir, no escorting the guests straight to the brig then." Mathias responded with a smile in kind, the Captains relaxed demeanour helping Mathias to feel a little more at ease.

The transporter chief, a Vulcan, looked up from the transporter console which faintly chimed, "We have contact from Starbase one eighteen, Captain. They are requesting permission for two to beam aboard."

"Our guests are right on time, Mister Tolaris. Permission granted, please beam them aboard." said the captain in response.


The transporter technician nodded. "Order acknowledged, Captain. Energizing now."

The tell tale hum of the transporter cycling filled Mathias' ears and starting out as a faint shimmer, two humanoids materialized on the pad in front of them alongside various cases and trunks, the ambassador's luggage.

Drake took a step forward and bowed as the ambassadors stepped off the transporter platform. "Ambassador Threel, Ambassador D'lar - on behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I hereby welcome you aboard the USS Peregrine. You met my Executive Officer, Lieutenant Zai, this morning. Please allow me to introduce you to my Chief of Operations, Lieutenant Lasad, as well as my Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Berk." Drake indicated each in turn before continuing. Mathias nodded when the Captain got to him, making eye contact with each ambassador in turn.

"Lieutenant Lasad has personally tended to your quarters to assure that they are as comfortable as we can make them, though if you require anything whatsoever, you have only to ask. Lieutenant Berk will be providing each of you with your own personal bodyguards for the duration of your stay; they will serve as escorts and personal security for you at all times."

Ambassador D'lar chuckled slightly. "You mean, Captain, that you are assigning someone to keep an eye on us while we are on board, to keep us out of trouble, yes?"

"Well at least we know where one of them stands" Mathias kept to himself.

The Captain had a surprised look an his face, likely taken aback by the ambassador's honesty. "And by doing so, you can of course give lip service towards protecting us from one another." Threel cast a sideways glance at D'lar.

The Kuldar ambassador grinned widely. "Do not apologize, Captain. Were I in your place, I would do the same - but not be so polite about it."

Now we know where they both stand, both of these ambassadors have keen tactical minds it appears. We'll keep a close eye on them both I think, they were expecting this sort of welcome.
The Rytain ambassador nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I would not begrudge you your duty. Show us to our quarters, please."

"Ambassadors, this way please." Mathias said, with a shallow bow and gesturing to the transporter room doors.

(If anyone wants add

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Deck 2 Transporter - 1150

John had changed to his dress and joined his people to form the honor guard. He had not heard from Lt. Berk to confirm the welcoming party so he had attended to be ready to support his CTO.

When the Captain, the XO and the new Ops office had arrived John figured Lt. Berk would be along. The ACTO brought the group to attention when the Staff officer had stepped out of the turbo lift and kept them there. Lt. Berk had followed quickly next.

While the staff was in the transporter room John reviewed the guard procedures with the security contingent. He reminded them that this wasn't just fluff assignment there could be some real security and protection issue in play and to look smart and act smart.

When the transporter room door opened Lt. Berk lead the Ambassadors out and John set the guards in step with each of their charged assignments.

The ACTO lingered back as the Staff and guests moved to the turbo lift. No need to make a bigger crowd.

When the turbo lift doors closed John tapped his com badge, "Reid to Chief Brooks"

=/\= Brooks here sir. =/\=

"Chief our guests are on board. Check the bio recognition and enact security protocols. If the bio signature is not set inform secure areas and activate isolation protocols."

=/\= Aye Lieutenant. We'll keep you and Lieutenant Berk posted. Brooks out.=/\=

With the guests on board John needs to get back to routine. He had the grave yard shift coming and he had been up for a while preparing intel and plans for the Ambassador's arrival, now he could use some food and rest. It was just easier to go to mess first even in his dress uniform than take the time to change.

The door to the mess slide open and John stepped to the replicators and got a simple meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravel. He ordered up a glass to cold milk.

Turning to the room to find a seat he noticed three medical crew nurses, two were new faces. One was a striking red haired female beauty. He realized then that being armed and in dress uniform might seem a bit much but it was too late now. As two of the men there looked up at him he smiled as he took a seat at a table near by.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Transporter room one - 1155
The briefing had been a whirlwind of information. The culinary requirements of the ambassadors alone were going to be a headache, and Dio anticipated shenanigans if the ambassadors tried to eat in the observation deck. Hopefully they'd prefer the quiet and comfort of their quarters over eating out - he'd have to get a few special dishes made and programmed into the replicator just for them.

Dio was politely friendly to the other department chiefs as they wrapped up the briefing lunch, exchanging what little information he had and exchanging polite pleasantries as they went out and about their business.

Greeting ambassadors was a new experience for Lasad. On the Melbourne he'd not ranked high enough to be included on reception duties. He almost didn't remember how his dress uniform went on, but he managed to be on-time and ready in the transporter room without humiliating himself or his new commanding officers.

He had gotten relatively settled and professional when Captain Drake and Lt Berk began talking.

"Aye, sir, no escorting the guests straight to the brig then." Mathias responded with a smile in kind.

Dio choked back a laugh at that thought, only partially successful. He immediately straightening back up and to attention as the Captain signaled the transporter technician to start beam over.

Drake began introducing the officers to the Ambassador. Lasad nodded politely as his name came around, maintaining a friendly closed-mouth smile. He was absolutely not going to open his mouth and make either the captain or the ship look bad in front of the ambassadors.

There was an extremely tense moment when the Ambassadors (correctly) called out that the guards were as much to keep an eye on them as protect. Dio was prepared to jump in if ... but surprisingly, the ambassadors also accepted the necessity of such peacefully.

Stars bless us, one stroke of luck.
"Ambassadors, this way please." Mathias said, with a shallow bow and gesturing to the transporter room doors.

Dio waited for a moment to see if the ambassadors needed assistance with their luggage. But they seemed to have either packed light or took it as a point of pride that they did not need porters - neither waited for Berk or himself to offer assistance, and instead followed the beefy officer out of the transporter room.

The door closed again with a soft whoosh. Lasad didn't exactly sag, but he did release a breathe he hadn't been aware he'd been holding until now. Exchanging a look with both Captain Drake and Lt Zai now that they were relatively alone "Does that normally happen when dealing with Ambassadors?"

((OOC: If anyone had anything they wanted to say/chat or RP with Dio before or right after the Ambassadors arrival, send me a PM! Otherwise there will be a few fluff posts between him and his staff leading up to his first command shift.)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine, Sick Bay Doctor's office - 1214
Louise sipped at a lukewarm cup of tea continuing her doctor's journal. She flipped between the PAD of engineering reports and a medical console displaying the recorded medical scans of Chief Thorson.

"Doctor Synclar's scans and notes confirm the diagnostics from engineering. Thorson's adrenal levels were within the norm after such a shock. Muscle interfaces clear of issue. No signal interference with receptors. All in the green. Unfortunately, any jolts of adrenaline, no remains of glutamate from shock, nothing caught in logs at the time of the incident."

She squinted in thought. "Perhaps I should visit with a neural recorder, shock his system with adrenals, and scan activity--"

=/\=Petty Officer Toporov to Sickbay! Doctor Moore, we have a medical emergency in main engineering - Commander Thorson is having some sort of seizure!=/\=

She tapped her com back to Toporov, dropping the PAD and grabbing her bag prepped for a meeting in engineering later in the day. "Moore on the way. If you can, put something in his mouth to hold his tongue down! Stay away from his arm."

As the door opened to Sick Bay, she spied Dana and Reynolds already jetting out into the corridor. As spry as she could, she kept to their heels.

((OOC feel free to say what ya like here, Boo!))

Dana make a hole through people unlike anyone she had ever witnessed, getting the trio into the turbolift fast. As they sped on to the engineering deck, she pulled free a sedative and the PADD of medical records.

In the calmest tone Dana may have ever heard, she tapped her com and said, "Moore to Captain Drake and Lieutenant Sai, I'll be in engineering meeting with Chief Thorson. He may require your for a discussion at your earliest convenience." She had no idea if they were still with the ambassadors, but hopefully that gave them enough interest to see to them after.

((OOC assuming an affirmative response of getting message))

Looking to Dana and Reynolds, she relayed short info in that same calmness. "Thorson had an issue of violent reactions in his cyberarm. If he is thrashing, do not let that hand get ahold. We need to sedate him, but if the issue is mechanical, it will still move and close. There may be neural transmission issues, but a seizure screams of something biochemical."

((OOC: feel free to add / reply!))