Queen's Gambit | Part I

Posted on Sat Nov 30th, 2019 @ 12:18pm by Fleet Admiral Donatella Figueroa & Lieutenant Junior Grade Shras th'Zarath & Commander K'Niras Sh'howul & Lieutenant Commander Seleya & Lieutenant Aeryn Vinia & Lieutenant Commander Michael Essex

Mission: S01E05 ConQstador
Location: Beta Quadrant | Federation Listening Post Hutchison

Several months had passed since the sacrificial destruction of the Ares class USS Musashi at the hands of its Commanding Officer, Captain Donatella Figueroa. The crew had been scattered about. Most had been reassigned to other starships and stations in the Alpha or Beta quadrant. Fig herself was still dealing with the 'paperwork' that came about when one decides to self-destruct their own starship, take it upon themselves to declare and then try to peacefully end a war with another civilization, and of course, there was the whole half Klingon child issue. Needless to say, she was not immediately reassigned. The most Starfleet was willing to give her was an administrative support role at Starfleet Academy as a Program Coordinator.

She honestly did not know if she would ever see another familiar face again. It had caught her entirely by surprise when she was served by a courier with orders for her. Orders that were vague. Transportation for her had already been arranged. She was to simply board it at a specific date and time. The transport would take her to a Federation "listening post" situated in the Beta Quadrant. The travel was calm and smooth but it still left her a very anxious tingle running through her body.

When the transport arrived at the listening post, Fig has beamed aboard and was met by a young man in a freshly pressed red uniform. The man stepped forward and presented Captain Figueroa with a data slate, an electronic tablet looking device. These were a newer model, but somehow they had managed to make them larger than their predecessors. Unfortunately, for the number of tasks one could do one the devices and their memory storage...bulkier was better. "Captain Figueroa," said the man coming to attention. She was not used to it. Formality quickly fell to the wayside on her starship. When you had one she reminded herself. The USS Musashi had been destroyed by her own hands. "They are waiting for you in the conference room, Captain" he added handing the data slate over to her and seemingly leading the way.

Who the hell is 'they' she pondered as she cautiously followed the young man out of the room, down the corridor a bit, but he came to a quick stop and gestured towards his left. There it was right next to a door. A plaque read: Conference Room and it probably was the only one on a facility this small. Captain Figueroa stepped forward towards the doors which let out a compressed whoosh as the doors parted ways. The young man who Fig had now been able to identify as a Yeoman had continued onward down the corridor after a simple excusing nod.

The Captain entered the room. It was a bit of a small conference room, a table could fit a handful of individuals. In fact, one occupant was already present in the room. "Shras?" said Fig seeing the Andorian Security Chief of the Musashi. He was standing off towards the back of the room, leaning against a bulkhead starring out at the blackness of space. Her arrival clearly grabbed his attention.

"Fig... or I mean Captain," he said, lighting up. "Its been a while." He didn't add much to that. They both knew the circumstances. "How have you been?"

Fig flashed a small smile at the informal greeting with the quick recovery. "At ease" she replied reassuringly. "I've been fine, Shras. It has been quite the ordeal paperwork wise. I guess Starfleet Command doesn't take too kindly to Captain's blowing up their own damn ship or setting it on a collision course" noted the Captain.

It was only a few moments later that yet another familiar face entered the small conference room.

K'Niras stepped through the double doors and into the conference room, a smile on his feline face as he rounded the corner. He was relieved to see his shipmates. They'd been shifting him from place to place and he was starting to worry. He had not been told who he was meeting here. "Well... you two are a welcome sight."

Not far behind the Caitian was another Andorian. Thavus looked around at the group and nodded, his face serious and his antenna turning slowly. He stepped into place behind a chair at the table, but he didn't sit.

Seleya watched the double doors whoosh open and she entered the room with several familiar places. She tilted her head to the side. "Fascinating," she said as she made her way to a chair.

Fig looked around the room. Well, there were three of her former crew. "Right on both accounts. This is a welcome sight and yes, fascinating would be one adjective to describe this little family reunion," noted the former Commanding Officer of the USS Musashi. "It is; however, not of my doing. I was given immediate orders summoning to this podunk sector aboard this... 'quaint' listening post. Anybody have any insight on what we are doing here?"

The door opened yet again and this time Michael Essex strolled in. He wasn't in his uniform, but in civilian clothing. "Fabulous, you're all here."

Fig's facial expressions said everything that needed to be said. Her nose turned up and her body posture matched as her arms quickly crossed. She was immediately in a defensive state. "You," she said crisply with her familiar rasp. "I should have known that anything that makes me nervous would have you behind it," she stated.

His appearance did not go unnoticed. "Out of uniform Admiral? Is this casual Friday or did they finally throw you out of the Fleet? They damn well nearly tossed me out after our latest excursion."

"Don't I know it," he said cryptically. "As for the uniform part... my new uniform is being fitted. You," he said pointing to Fig, "Will have your command soon and your team intact. Plus you will have a new addition."

"I did not ask for a new command," she countered, shooting him an icy glare. "I've fought the Klingons for several years. I'm a war veteran, a former POW, a survivor of the darkest chapters of my life, and I'm a mother. Admiral, my good days to the service of Starfleet are behind me. There's nothing more out there for me in the coldness of space. The frontier is for the young and foolish. People like us are better suited behind a desk."

"She's a liar, of course..." K'Niras added. "We are all anxious to get back onto a ship. I'm sure that everyone here feels that we've been sitting around on our laurels." He sat down in a chair and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, his ears swiveling from side to side.

Essex looked at K'Niras. "I know she's a liar. You will get your ship, your command, your crew. As for calling me Admiral... not anymore. Lieutenant Commander Michael Essex, your Chief Science Officer," he simply said.

K'Niras looked up at Essex with surprise. "Well damn, did they really demote you? I mean... we can talk about that later. Just surprised." He chuckled. "I'm glad that we get to continue to work together."

"They have been trying to demote me for years. I just allowed it this time," he said again cryptically. "I wanted something, they wanted my rank. It was a trade I was willing to make." The crux of the matter was he'd traded his rank to ensure Fig got her ship and crew and that nobody would mess with them. There were obvious other perks he'd gotten, like a science post, to be near Seleya, a chance to shuck the paperwork. All in all he'd gotten the better part of the deal. "I am glad to be a part of the crew."

Fig let out a soft groan. She minced no words. "That makes one of us then," she remarked sharply.

"From Admiral to Lieutenant Commander. Wow... Sir," Shras said. He also smiled. "Although, I am glad the "gang" is staying together, so to speak."

Essex smiled at Sharas. "Small price to pay."

Seleya studied him. "Logically, you would not have given up your rank if you did not see a benefit. Knowing your personality it would have been a benefit for someone. For whom did you give up your rank?" She waited for the CO to question him too. It had more oomph coming from the CO.

"I haven't been promoted to Commodore. So, I am going to presume whoever benefited from this ordeal is sitting behind a desk somewhere with some extra weight on their sleeves," added Fig, in reference to the embroidered rank worn on the sleeves of the uniforms her and her crew had started to wear prior to the destruction of their starship.

She shot Essex a look of suspicion. "You made a deal with the devil, didn't you?" Fig shook her head. There were plenty of Starfleet brass who were fond of her, but there was an equal amount who were anything but thrilled about her. She feared the days when political shifting began to swing more heavily against her. "What the hell did you do this for? I know it wasn't for me," she added with a few strategically placed blows.

He looked away and said nothing. The deal he'd made was Fig gets her crew and ship and minimal interference from the fleet and they give him a demotion. He looked her straight in the eye. "That is a long story."

"The Ares class starships were already being phased out when I first got the Musashi," stated the captain. "I don't imagine there's too many of them left in service refitted or otherwise," she added, with a bit of melancholy. She had been responsible for the destruction of her own starship, one of the last of its design. "What relic are they sticking me with this time? Walker class? Crossfield? Better not be a Daedalus from the scrapyards."

Essex sighed, "Actually, that detail I don't know. I just know we're all together again." He smiled and sat down. His gaze shifted to Seleya briefly. He hadn't seen her in a while and his eyes took in everything.

The doors opened again and Aeryn Vinia walked in, an annoyed look on her face. She'd been stopped no less than four times on the way here. "Good morning everyone. My apologies for my tardiness."

"Actually," K'Niras said, with a little smile. "You're right on time for me to tell everyone what I know. I think I might at least be able to answer your questions about what we'll be going in." He held up a PADD briefly and then set it down on the table again, looking at the group.

Fig had not called this meeting and was as caught off guard by it as the others. There was not really being late to it. She simply smiled at the Musashi's Head Nurse who has briefly been Acting Chief Medical Officer between Dr. Hill and Dr. Seleya. "It is nice to see you are here, Aeryn," Fig said pleasantly before turning her attention to the data slate (PADD) which she immediately reached for.

It did not take but a passing moment for her to go from cautious to trying to conceal her mild state of frustration and panic. There was a large screen towards the back of the room. With a few taps here and there, the screen of the data slate was being transmitted to display on the screen for all to see. A large marbled planet of shades of pinks, violet, and indigo took up the screen. "Rigel VII," muttered Fig shaking her head. "We nearly lost Captain Pike down there a few years ago."

Seleya gave a nod. "I had heard that." She looked at the planet. "It is quite... pleasing to look at though."

K'Niras looked up at the screen, his ears laying back on his head slowly. "Well, at least we'll be arriving in style. They didn't tell me what crew I was going to be running with, just the ship that I was assigned to. They're giving us a Sentinal class cruiser. It's not as combat inclined, definitely more equipped for defense, exploration and science. I'm interested to hear what they want us on Rigel VII for."

Essex's eyes narrowed. "Nothing good can come of this. I speak as a former admiral and one pissed off science officer."

Seleya chimed in, "Given what happened to Captain Pike down there, I would recommend caution. I will study the records and prepare medically as much as possible." She looked at Fig. "Captain, may I ask a personal question?"

Sentinel class she was aware of the class and had seen some of the initial design plans for it a while back. "It's a newer class of starship with its design related to the aging Constitution class, albeit it doesn't have the size of the Constitution," she noted before looking at Seleya, nodding at the Chief Medical Officer. "Anything, Doctor," replied Fig.

"You mentioned Captain Pike. Do you know him personally?"

Fig nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Doctor. I've been in Starfleet a while as you can probably gather. We have attended a few conferences together and our paths crossed during the 'Four Years War,' but I never served aboard the same ship as him," she noted. "That honor would be Lieutenant Sh'howul's," added Fig with a nod at the Caitian.

K'Niras grinned a little. "Although, when I served with him I was an Ensign and serving in the Communications department. I didn't have a lot of interaction with Captain Pike."

"I was just lucky the Enterprise was willing to part with you when we needed a Communications Officer," replied Captain Figueroa. "Whether you had many interactions with him or not, you came from the Enterprise and that means something," added Fig.

The Caitian grinned, just showing his front teeth. "Well, now I come from the USS Musashi and I am proud of it," he said with confidence.

Captain Fig felt an emotional wave wash over her. It meant a lot to her that her Caitian First Officer had held the Musashi in such a high place. "She was a damn fine ship... a damn fine ship," noted Fig. "She will always hold a special place for me, as will the crew that served her and me over the years."

The doorway hissed opened, immediately causing eyes to be drawn to the woman standing in the doorway. Her uniform looked in pristine condition as though it had never seen the hardship of battle let alone the endless violent skirmishes and warring that the Klingon Empire had brought to the doorsteps of the Federation. Nevertheless, Captain Figueroa suspected there was nothing 'new' about the woman's uniform. In fact, no sooner had the woman appeared in the doorway did Fig do something she rarely ever have to do; Captain Donatella Figueroa fixed her a rather lax posture and sprung quickly and swiftly to her feet and to formal attention. "Commodore on deck," Fig said announcing the woman's arrival. It would undoubtedly lead to a domino effect for the others to follow suit.

K'Niras also rose quickly from his seat to salute the Commodore. He continued to stand at attention.