A Message from the TFCO

Posted on Mon Oct 5th, 2020 @ 1:43pm by Captain Jasmine Somers & Captain Maia Sterling & Lieutenant Commander Havri Belbre
Edited on on Fri Oct 9th, 2020 @ 7:12am

Mission: The Thorion Conundrum Mission Brief
Location: Leto's Shuttle bay/various
Timeline: Current

[ON]

The shuttle from the Tomcat docked aboard the Starbase the Leto was at, as Jasmine docked she looked over to see a Norway class ship, it looked like an oversized iron, but it was Maia's first command so she was happy for her. Eventually, the shuttle was down and secured, and picking up her carry bag she booked a room on the Station for an overnight stay she made straight for her room to freshen up. Two hours later refreshed and smartly dressed, she made sure the white band she wore was clean and tapped her Commbadge.

=/\= Captain Somers to Commander Sterling, please meet me in your Ready Room on the Leto =/\=

=/\= On my way. I wish you would have let me know you were here Fleet Captain.. =/\= If I had known she was coming aboard I would have assembled a full honour guard.

=/\= Do not sound so surprised Commander, you did not think I was going to let you launch without me waving you off, I will be at your CRR shortly, Somers out =/\= Jasmine closed the link and headed that way.

Luckily she was billeted on the side closest to the Leto, but using her clearances she did a site to site transport, straight into the CRR. As the transporter effects wore off she looked around and noticed Maia had not yet arrived, it was unexpected. So while she waited she stood looking out of the small window in the CRR standing at Parade rest looking at the work bees moving about, when she heard the doors open she did not turn around right away.

Maia entered the CRR.

"Well it looks like we are getting a top brass send-off, Don't worry We will launch on time even if we have to get out and push," Maia said and smiled. "Can I get you some coffee or tea? Maybe something stronger? Maia asked.

Jasmine turned around with a big smile on her face "Command suits you Maia and I am not top brass, I am merely a senior Captain nothing more" Jasmine said as she turned around and offered her hand to her former First Officer. "So I did notice that you are the only crewmember with the white band, has your crew commented or asked what it represents? I imagine they will be curious to see another Fleet Officer with the same band, but have they enquired at all?" Jasmine asked.

"I am instituting a formal training regimen for a chosen man core among the marines of this ship, Captain. My Chief of Marines Captain Thrix will be trained first." Maia said.

Jasmine noticed that Maia did not answer her question the way she expected, but no matter she could guess the answer. "I think I sent you the guidelines or rather the requirements for such an elevation, if not I can have my office send them to you," Jasmine said as she walked over to the replicator "may I?" She asked indicating the replicator. She pulled out her mini Padd and pressed a button "there released the documentation, it is now in the Leto's message cure for you" she added.

"Please do. My crew has not commented one way or the other." Maia said.

Taking her silence on the other question as a confirmation "Raktijino three sweeteners and milk" she said and the drink materialised as she took a tentative sip and taking a seat on the other chair "I am here to give you and your crew a sending off speech, as you are a new CO in my Taskforce I figure I may as well, so what I will need you to do is assemble all your crew in the main shuttlebay, I will not be doing a long speech and the moment I am done and have left the ship you can begin your first mission" she said with a smile and paused to let Maia respond.

"When would you like to give your speech Captain?" Maia asked.

She smiled at the response "so Maia how have you been settling in since you left the Tomcat?" she asked.

"Well I've actually been quite busy, I think my crew is a good one and this ship though small is very well equipped to accomplish our mission. I do miss my friends on the Tomcat but I think the change is good for me. How have you been?"

"I agree on the change for you but otherwise fine, been missing you as my XO, you always seemed to head off troubles before they reached me, I know you will put that skill to use here. Currently, I have left Colonel Somers commanding Phase 2 of the mission as the mission would have started by the time I arrived here and Alex needs some solo ship experience as part of her on the job training. I think you know why I am here, don't you Maia?" the Captain asked.

"I assume you are here because you want me back... lol," Maia said jovially.

"Trust me, Maia, I would like nothing more than to have you back on the ship as my XO, but your abilities are stifled, the only way you would end up in command as if something happened to me, that is morbid I know, but it is true. Here you can develop more as a Senior Officer commanding her own ship, your decade-plus as my First Officer was only the first part of your story, this ship and her crew is the second chapter in what I hope will be a long career for you" the Captain said and took another sip of her drink to hide the lump in her throat.

"So a break from polite chat, I am here to speak to your crew before you set off, do you think your crew would be up for that? No immediate rush the Tomcat has already set out on its Phase 2 part of the mission with Colonel Somers in charge because I am here, but as I am here may as well make the most of me, I will need you to set things up in your shuttle bay where all your Senior Staff will be there and those crew who cannot fit in the shuttle bay can watch on monitors and view screens, I do not know what I am going to say exactly after you introduce me, but I will think of something" Somers finished.

"Will you be accompanying us to Thorion-4, Captain? I know you want to test LtCol Somers on her command ability but do you really think she is qualified to command an Akira class battlecruiser? Maia asked.

"As for accompanying you to Thorion 4, no I will not be going with you on it you have spent enough time around me Maia, it is time to soar and make your own mark on history. As for Colonel Somers, I believe she is capable she has done the basic bridge command course at the Academy and she has done up until recently extremely well in her practical assignments. What I said to her in the briefing on the Tomcat was correct her last command she had an overwhelming number of ships to stave off any attempt of the Orions there. Now her final test is a single ship with all its assets and all alone in the night, she will be taking over from me at some point on the Tomcat, I cannot go any higher in rank if I am commanding a starship and after this latest test Colonel Somers will have behind the scenes stuff to work on and then she will do her finals and we all know how hard those finals can be. You see Maia a Marine needs to have what used to be called on the job experience to command a ship, with us we attended the Academy from our late teen years, a Marine Officer has a different officer training experience, they are trained to think in ways Fleet Officers cannot and for most can rarely cross over to ship Command, I was one of those Marine Officers who learned the hard way but I made the transition ok I think" Jasmine said.

"Understood Captain, I read you she needs to learn in her own way in her own time. She strikes me as being a very competent officer. I don't think she will have too much difficulty Maia replied, "So what's in your future are you going to retire or have you been tapped for the admiralty?" Maia asked.

"No on both accounts Maia, I have not been tapped for Admiralty and I am not going to retire, I am like a shark swimming in a tank and going round in circles going nowhere. If I am to be even considered for Commodore I will need to fully embrace being a Flag Officer and while I command a ship I will only go as high as Fleet Captain and then that rank is simply to say I am an old-timer" the Captain added as she chuckled to herself about the old-timer bit.

Looking at her former commanding officer she spoke up "Then I invite you to stay the night as my guest" Maia said.

=/\= Lt. Brannon please report to the shuttle bay"=/\= Maia ordered.

Lt Brannon was in full dress uniform and was headed that way. She replied, =/\= On my way Captain =/\= as she stepped into the turbo lift. In a few seconds, she stepped off the turbo lift and went to the shuttle. "Lt Brannon reporting as called Captain." While standing at attention.

"Ah, Lieutenant Brannon. Escort the Fleet Captain to VIP quarters, please." Maia said.

Looking up and smiling "Hello Lieutenant Brannon, pleased to meet you," Captain Somers said in greeting, "please relax Lieutenant you will burst something you stand any stiffer than that, I have not seen anyone stand to attention that straight since my days as a Marine many years ago," Somers said standing up she looked at Maia "0900 hours tomorrow Commander Sterling I will speak to the crew in the shuttle bay" she added and looked back to the Lieutenant "after you Lieutenant Brannon."

"Yes Ma'am of course". Brannon replied.

[OFF]

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A post by:

Commander Maia A. Sterling
USS Leto NCC-80916
Commanding Officer

&

Fleet Captain Jasmine Somers
Task Force 11
Task Force Commanding Officer

&


Lieutenant Angelina Brannon
USS Leto NCC-80916
Chief of Security