The First Crew In 64 Years (Part 1)

Posted on Sun Apr 6th, 2025 @ 11:59pm by Captain Violet Bluegarden & Commander Celeste Tiae & Lieutenant Commander Jo'ohn el'Ataa & Lieutenant Commander Dr. Dallas "D.C" Coleman Wyatt & Lieutenant Hikari Takanashi & Lieutenant JG Shirley Onuei

1,481 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: 84 Years Young
Timeline: Mission Day 7

One week had elapsed, and things weren't looking good for a roster: Violet had her XO, Doctor, Security, and a pilot that came recommended by Commander Tiae. Ops and Science help were allegedly on the way, but wouldn't be here for another week. Violet had spoken with the yard about her inability to secure engineering staff and voiced concerns about what Chief Takanashi had said when they had met. Admiral Vincent had given the go ahead to "conscript" Takanashi and the other engineers working on The Sullivans. Desperate times did indeed call for desperate measures, after all:

When one week on the dot had elapsed, Violet had sent out a message to all her currently-assembled senior crew: Assemble at Shuttlebay 7 for immediate transport to the USS The Sullivans.

Ten minutes after receiving the summons, Jo'ohn stepped into the shuttlebay, his bags in his hands. After entering the large bay, he scanned quickly around, then stopped, when his eyes landed on his commanding officer. He marched over smartly, nodding to her when he got close. "Captain," he said respectfully.

"Commander." Violet nodded.

Celeste was next into the shuttlebay, a broad smile on her face as she tapped the PADD she held in her hands, white ball of fluff on her shoulder, tail wrapped around her throat. She strode quickly over to the Captain, "Good news, ma'am, I convinced Holly to come over from the Halifax to take over in Science, at least until we can find someone else or you decide you want to keep her. She's a biologist by desire, branched out into xenobiology and planetary environmental studies as well. She's competent and a solid scientist, I can definitely recommend her."

"That's odd," Violet responded. "I already have a Vulcan coming in from the T'Kumbra to do just that: Her name's T'Shin. Good work ethic, but she's ready to move on from the all-Vulcan crew and spend some time with less logical species."

Celeste blinked twice, her red eyes showing a little confusion at the matter, "Then that means I haven't been getting messages from the system." She concluded, because it was the only thing that she could think of as to how she'd not known about this T'Shin, "But no bother, I'll just let know Holly to stay where she's at then, not a big deal." The Aethiri changed the subject just as quickly, "I just finished compiling the most recent repair updates and we're looking in good shape. In fact-"

As she attempted to continue a blur of red and black came skipping through the back hatch of one of the shuttles, making a beeline for Exec, "CELLY!" It was a half-shriek of excitement as the pint-sized woman flung her arms around her, "Didja see what I got done in there? Huh? Huh?"

The sudden movement drew Jo'ohn's attention. He dropped his bags and braced for conflict, his razor-sharp talons instantly extending from the tips of his fingers.

On Celeste's shoulders, the fur on Eviar's body went flat as his eyes and face flickered to Jo'ohn's location as he went into high alert at the reactions made towards his person's location. Claws flicked out from his paws to catch a grip on Celeste's uniform in case he needed to suddenly move. Celeste's head snapped over towards Jo'ohn at the sound of the bags hitting the floor, an unexpected sound.

Violet could sense the situation getting tense. Immediately, she stepped between Jo'ohn and Celeste and assumed a defensive, yet fighting posture with her knees slightly bent.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She called out. "Easy, now: Let's not get to killing each other before we get on board. Stand down, lest you want to find out why they call me 'The Big Bruise:'"

Celeste's move hadn't been aggressive at all, but the fox on her shoulders was clearly on edge and she knew why: The claws of Betalgeusian. "Sha'vaa, Eviar." She whispered softly, turning it into nearly a croon, "Esta veiori, sha'vaa." Slowly she reached up to scritch behind the critter's ears, his fur seeming to regain some of the fluff it had before, though his topaz eyes remained on the other officer, "Apologies, Captain."

Apparently oblivious to what had happened, Shirley looked up and around, "Wait, what's goin' on?" She saw Jo'ohn with claws out and shrank behind Celeste in response.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by his actions, Jo'ohn straightened up, his talons sliding back into his finger sheathes. "Apologies, Captain. The sudden noise and movement caught me off guard. It won't happen again." He then glanced at the smaller woman cowering behind Celeste and his talking mouth turned up in a small grin. "Please forgive me, Miss. I did not mean to scare you. Your fast actions simply triggered my natural predatory reactions." He extended his right hand in the way he had learned Humans did in greeting. "My name is Lieutenant Commander Jo'ohn el'Ataa. I am the Security and Tactical Chief. And you are?"

"Lieutenant jay gee..." Shirley said from still behind Celeste, voice quieting down to barely audible, "Shirley Onuei... I'm the main shuttle pilot.." She slowly idled out from behind the Aethiri and stared up at the person who outright towered over her and propped her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out, "Then you should be more careful." She admonished suddenly, shyness apparently gone, "But apology accepted. She finally released one hand to shake his.

The large avianoid dipped his head politely as he spoke the smaller hand. Though he did have to admire the punk of the little woman. He decided let her apparent lack of recognition of rank go...this time.

Violet breathed a sigh of relief, and returned to her regular posture. A whole bunch of excitement, and they weren't even on board yet. Speaking of which.

"Well, shall we go ahead and get heading out there?" Violet proposed. "Sullivans ain't gonna reactivate herself."

"And ain't no one gonna fly the shuttle we've got except for me!" Shirley half-squealed in delight, skipping towards the open shuttle hatch, "Cap'n gets the seat next to me, prerogative of rank of course."

Celeste shook her head slightly at the small woman, she'd never been able to get her under any semblance of control, or decorum, but she was genuinely what she'd told the Captain she was: A danged good pilot. "And I think it's about time, myself." She remarked.

"I think I'll forfeit my seat next to the pilot for whoever wants it." Violet declined the opportunity to sit in the front. "I'm more of a 'first off' kinda gal."

"I will gladly take the seat then, Captain," Jo'ohn said matter-of-factly. "I wish to see, firsthand, if the young Lieutenant jg Onuei is as good as she claims to be."

"Pssh, just make sure you don't touch the controls." Shirley remarked to the Betelgeusian, "I'm as good as I say, but some people overreact."

Grinning slightly with his talking mouth, his eating beak clicked softly. "I defer to your experience," he joked as his eyes seemed to glisten with mirth.

Celeste gave a wistful smile as the pilot boarded the shuttle to finalize the preflight procedure, then gestured to the hatch, "All right people let's get going, Captain wants to get aboard and as she said, she's first 'first off' type, which means 'last on'." She reached up to give the windfox a quick scritch, "That means me, too."

As the gathered senior staff began to file into the shuttle, Violet scanned the shuttlebay, looking back towards the entrance for Dr. Wyatt. She had made her announcement clear, and she intended to keep to her schedule. So, if the good doctor was a no show, alternate arrangements would have to be made.

The doctor poked his head out of the shuttle, having arrived some time prior. "We gettin' this show on the road?" He asked with a gruff to his voice, fiddling with a stylus in his hand.

"Ah, there you are:" Violet responded, climbing the ramp aboard the shuttle. "Yes, we are." She said as the ramp closed behind her.

Unlike the others, Hikari who had been taken by surprise to have been 'conscripted' by the Captain, wasn't present. She was still on The Sullivans working on its systems. She was currently sat crossed legged in a Jeffries tube somewhere between decks fourteen and fifteen wrestling a very stubborn conduit cover. Next to her on the floor however was a PADD which was displaying a live feed from the shuttlebay on the Starbase.

On the Hikari's PADD, the live feed showed the senior staff's shuttle lifting off and departing from the shuttlebay. Though Hikari was too wrapped up in dealing with the conduit cover to notice, it would only be a matter of time before the shuttle made its way out to the ship.

To be continued...

RSS Feed