Prelude to the Storm

Posted on Thu Aug 17th, 2017 @ 7:23pm by Fleet Admiral Donatella Figueroa & Lieutenant Junior Grade Ethan O'Donoghue

Mission: S01E01 - At the Brink of Night
Location: Starfleet Academy /USS Musashi
Timeline: Just Prior to Mission Briefing

Ethan walked packed up the rest of his room, it was time for ethan to step aboard his first assignment as a helmsman, a chief helmsman at that.After four years he had finally graduated from starfleet academy, He had finally attained his dream, he would finally be able to do his father proud.Being a helmsman had been his dream since his father had shown him the very first ship he had served on. Placing the essentials into his duffle bag, everything else was going into his father's backpack that had been handed to him his first day of starfleet academy.

Walking out of his quarters at starfleet, he took one last look at the room he had held for the last four years.It was like saying goodbye to home all over again. He was too beam aboard the ship from starfleet academy, he was excited,scared and nervous all at the same time. He wondered what the ship held in store for him, what adventures and wondrous planets he might see. Changing out of his cadets uniform had been the weirdest experience of the young ensigns life, being in that uniform for four years and then being assigned to his first ship it all felt a little surreal.

Walking through the halls of starfleet academy, Ethan waved at his fellow students as he made his way to the transporter room, His duffle bag lay in his left hand and his back pack rested on his back.Walking up to the transporter pad, the engineer sat at the console looked up and smiled “Ensign O’Donnaghue USS Muasashi awaits you” he said as clicked a few buttons “Energise” ethan said as the pad whooshed and whired, soon enough ethan was no longer on the pad at starfleet academy he was standing on the pad of the USS Musashi.

Figueroa had been impatient and eager to leave the Tellar Repair Yards and get her starship back into the coliseum of the stars, the abyss was calling her...the Klingons waiting and she was ready to go another round, but her starship even fully repaired was not yet ready.

Not all the new crew came aboard while the starship was stuck in the Tellar system. A few made it via shuttle, but others needed to be fetched from nearby systems. A stop by the Sol system for a brief orbit of Earth allowed for the last few souls to come aboard. One of them being the Musashi's new Chief Helmsmen, fresh out of the academy. So fresh that his uniform gave off that new shuttle smell.

In the Transporter Room, a device that Fig had her reservations about, the young man materialized on the pad before her. "Ensign Ethan James O'Donoghue" Fig said standing there before him, looking regal in her Captain's uniform. "I'm Captain Figueroa, your Commanding Officer. Please, follow me Ensign" she said gesturing him towards the doorway.


Ethan smiled at his new commanding officer, stepping off the transporter pad "Right away captain" he said as he followed the captain. The ship was magnificent he'd herd the war stories from other cadets at the academy, the hall ways were bright, crew members buzzed about doing there daily duties.

He couldent wait to see the bridge as he moved to match the speed of the captain. He was slowly learning the paths of the ship soon enough he came to a blast door and waited to be invited in.

Fig could see the excitement bottled up inside the formerly Cadet O'Donoghue recently commissioned as Ensign O'Donoghue. He was clearly happy and in awe of everything, but careful not to run around like a kid in a candy store. "She's a fine starship. Not fresh off the line and she's no Constitution class, but while those Connies were still sitting in spacedocks and drydocks, the Ares class was out kicking Klingon asses back to whence they came" said the woman, proud of her service during the war.

When they reached the blast doors, they opened and Fig headed through. However the Ensign seemed reluctant to join her without permission. "This isn't an Academy field trip to a museum ship, Ensign. Come along" she added. "We are going to take the lift."

Ethan smiled as the captain spoke “I’ve heard about the ship's service history in the war, I wrote a paper on it during my tenure at starfleet academy”he said stepping into the turbolift, the ares class was one of ethan's favorite classes of ships, sure the constitution class was great ship, but the ares class was the war runner and caused the klingons a lot of problems during the war.Ethan was proud to be serving on such a highly regarded vessel in the fleet “Can I just say captain thank you for choosing me to be your helmsman, I wouldn't want to be on any other vessel in the fleet” he said smiling at his commanding officer.

Fig maintained her composure but she did allow a small sense of pleasure come over her briefly. However, she then thought more about the young man's words. "You were a promising candidate" she said though her thoughts revealed more. You were the best out of the few options I had, but most would not want to serve under my command she thought privately.

Ethan felt the turbolift stop his bags were still on his back and in his hands, he hadn't even had a chance to go to his quarters yet, to drop off his belongings.But whatever the captain had planned he knew it was necessary “Do I have permission to speak freely captain?” he asked out of respect and kindness “Once were done where ever it is we are going can i drop by my quarters and drop off my belongings?” he said smiling once more a sign of his excitement.

Luggage and belongings she thought. "Your quarters are not far away from where we need to be. We can drop your bags off along the way" she said as they took the lift downward. "You can unpack and settle in later, Ensign. We have to attend a Mission Briefing soon" she said informing him of her plans.

Ethan nodded at his commanding officer “Understood captain” he said as the turbolift went downward again, he stood there wondering what the mission briefing would be about, rather than vocalise his question he kept it internal, atleast his quarters where on the way to the mission briefing so that he wouldn't have to walk into the briefing with his belongings, he was quite excited to see where this assignment would take him.

"Fortunately, as a member of the Bridge Crew and part of the Captain's Senior Staff, your quarters won't be as compact" she said with a nod at him. "Your quarters are your own. Back when I was your age, Ensign we often had bunks and on smaller starships we sometimes hot bunked" she explained.

She then moved down the corridor towards the man's assigned quarters, but also transitioned into a more work related topic: the mission briefing. "Have you ever met a Klingon, Ensign?" she asked. It was possible he had not. He was practically a kid still compared to her. "Or have you just read about them?" she added onto her questioning.

Ethan smiled “Glad to know i won't be hot bunking, although i'm used to sharing a room did so for four years at starfleet academy” he said laughing as he walked into his quarters and dropped of his bags grabbing the holster and phaser from his backpack and attaching it at his waist.Walking back out he smiled “that's better, don't feel like im holding on to a million and one things now” he said smiling as he walked back over to the captain.He looked a little puzzled but straightened out when the question hit him “ I’ve never met a klingon, from what ive read and researched they are a vile species, of warriors who have nothing better to do than cause skirmish after skirmish either amongst their own factions or external forces, as referenced when the war started” he said as he looked on speaking with knowledge and precession “If i had to liken them to another species, it’d have to be the romulans there just as barbaric in their methods id sooner see both species wiped from the map, but we dont get what we want” he said laughing once more.

She looked at the Ensign and nodded at his assessment of the Klingons. "They are a truly barbaric and revolting species. They have no respect for space, no respect for other worlds, and are a plague to the galaxy" said Fig. "They lay claim to planets well outside their Empire, push their imaginary boarders outward with each passing day...you are right, Ensign. The sooner they are gone the better" added Fig.

"Sometimes you can get what you want if you are willing to work hard for it and I plan on working extremely hard to make the Klingons pay" she said shaking her head.

Ethan smiled "Well I'm glad to be apart of this adventure, the klingons need to know that the federation can and will act if we see fit" He said as he made his way towards the briefing with the captain." So, I take it this mission isent on one of peace captain?" he asked as tried to get a grasp on the situation before he entered the briefing with the rest of the crew.

You are a starship Captain. Remember to act like one she thought to herself before answering the young ensign. "Ensign, with the Klingons...negotiations can get a little aggressive. Just because shots might get fired, does not mean we are not looking for a peaceful resolution. Diplomacy should always come first" she replied. Oh yeah, that's golden coming from you her conscious weighed in. "Sometime, I like to use a little aggressive negotiations" she admitted. "It works better of the Klingons in my opinion" explained Fig.

EJ Looked at the captain "Well whatever happens captain, i'll guide her straight there's no worry about that" he said as he smiled "The klingons are well known for aggressive negotiations themselves so lets hope it dosent get to out of hand" he said as he smiled as the blast door to the briefing room opened.

"Here's to that Ensign. We can only hope" she said just as the doors open. The two somewhat parted ways as they each took their seat at the conference table.