NRPG: Compile Index: Stardate: 2408.02.19 (Starbase Geneva - Deck 62, Security Center - Crewman Morgan Randell- 1513) (Starbase Geneva-Deck 50- ATac Ensign (jg) Ben Soma- 1535) Stardate: 2408.02.22 (USS Mithrandir - Deck 5, Operations - OO Petty Officer Markra - 1026) (USS Mithrandir Deck 5, Operations A-OPS Ensign (jg) Jefferies 1030) (USS Mithrandir - Ready Room - CO, Captain Archibald Stakes - 14:38) Stardate: 2408.02.23 (USS Mithrandir - Deck 03 - SciO Ensign (jg) Percival Bellephoron the Third - 1023) (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay ATac Ensign Ben Soma- 1400) (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay CMO Dr Nymes- 1401) (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay ATac Ensign Ben Soma-1403) Stardate: 2408.02.24 (USS Mithrandir CO's quarters CO, Captain Archibald Stakes 22:40) (USS Mithrandir Airlock CMO Dr Nymes 22:45) (USS Mithrandir Ready Room CMO Dr Nymes 2252) Stardate: 2408.03.01 (Starbase Geneva - Deck 27, Central Ring - OO Crewman Montro - 1200) Stardate: 2408.03.02 (Starbase Geneva - Deck 51, Public Arboretum - FO Cmdr. Olorin Okita - 2208) Stardate: 2408.03.06 (USS Mithrandir - Bridge - CO, Captain Archibald Stakes - 09:55) RPG: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.02.19 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (Starbase Geneva - Deck 62, Security Center - Crewman Morgan Randell- 1513) "Head to deck 58 to team four.  I'll let them know you're on your way.  Thank you for your assistance, Crewman." Lieutenant Shrekt said. Morgan nodded, turned around and left the security center. Once outside he headed towards the turbolift, entered and said, "Deck 58." The lift silently moved off on its way but something about its movement felt off, he made a mental not mention it to the stations engineering department. The lift came to a halt and Morgan stepped out as the doors opened. Looking in both directions he searched for the security detail assigned to this deck. He heard movement to his right and headed in that direction. Rounding the corner he saw a couple security officers so he approached and said, "Lieutenant Shrekt assigned me to assist you with the search, who is in charge here?" (reply any) (posted by Milo Young) (Starbase Geneva-Deck 50- ATac Ensign (jg) Ben Soma- 1535) "Hello, Ben," said Sanok weakly.  "It is agreeable to see you."  He tried to sit up, but the room began to spin.  Pausing, he tried again, this time, with Ben's help.  Looking around the room, he saw that his captors had been subdued. "These men are responsible for the fire at the Hyperion Inn," said Sanok.  "We will ne..."  A wave of dizziness swept through Sanok. "I believe it is logical for me to go to sickbay now." "I was just thinking the same thing." Ben said helping Sanok to his feet and steadying him. Sanok could be suffering from any number of injuries and not let anyone know. Leaning closer he said, "Can you walk or should I call for a medical transport?" (reply Sanok) Ben tapped his commbadge and said, " Soma to Lieutenant Shrekt, we have located Sanok and have his captors in custody. Sanok is enroute to sickbay as are a number of my team who sustained injuries in the fire fight." (reply Shrekt) Ben called to crewman Michaels and told him to secure the scene and have the captors escorted to the brig after they received medical attention. Members of the team were helping the fallen to their feet, the injuries seemed moderate, a few burns and bruises. Ben told them to get to sickbay as soon as possible. The remaining team gathered Sanok's captors and lead them out to sickbay. A couple crewman remained in the room to ensure that the scene would remain undisturbed until station security had time to process the area for evidence against the people responsible for the fire at the Hyperion. Feeling a slight ache in his back Ben decided it would be wise for him to visit sickbay as well, may have a fractured rib. He took one last look around nodded to the remaining security officers and headed out into the corridor. (reply Sanok, Shrekt, any) (posted by Milo Young) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.02.22 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Mithrandir - Deck 5, Operations - OO Petty Officer Markra - 1026) As Markra explained what his area of expertise was, the response from the Assistance Chief of OPS was promising. "Well that will come in handy I expect when we depart on our mission, so you had a chance to look around the rest of the ship yet?" asked Jefferies. At that precise moment the doors opened again and as Markra turned to see who might be entering, he watched a woman enter wearing OPS yellow.  ~This must be the Ensign that Alex Jefferies called a few minutes ago~ he considered, instantly wondering what sort of character she would turn out to be.  Luckily for him, it seemed she was very friendly indeed. "You must be Petty Officer Markra," she said, approaching him with an outstretched arm and offering her hand.  Not wishing to appear rude, Markra took the hand firmly and shook it.  He had never truly understood the need for the shaking of hands, only that it was a term of greeting that many seemed to indulge.  "I'm Ensign Spero, but as long as we're not on Bridge duty, you can call me Kit." ~Ensign Kit...~ Markra made a mental note.  He liked it when people made simple requests like that, a well known attempt to be friendly that Markra would respond well too.  "The Old Man's a bit of a stickler for regulations," added Kit before Markra could say anything.  "Which is a good thing on the whole." Markra wasn't entirely sure how to respond, so instead he just nodded and smiled.  ~I must find out who this 'old man' is~ Markra made another mental note.  With that he turned briefly toward Jefferies with the intention of answering his earlier question. Before Markra had a chance, Alex had turned to Spero and said, "Sorry to call you down here, but I guessed you'd want to meet the newbie."  He then laughed before adding, "But seriously, hope I didn't interrupt anything." (reply: Spero) "Well, I am very pleased that you have taken time out of your day to meet with me.  I look forward to working with you," Markra said to Kit, then looked over at Alex and added, "with both of you."  He then smiled widely.  "And to answer your question Ensign, I haven't had a chance to explore just yet.  This was my first stop." (reply: Jefferies) "I have no plans for the duration of this day.  If you would like to help me get familiar with my new surroundings, I would be most grateful."  Markra hoped that one or both had no immediate plans for the next hour or so.  ~I would very much like to get to know these two individuals~ he thought to himself, hoping that these two would be his first friends of many. (reply: Spero, Jefferies, any) (posted by Dave) (USS Mithrandir Deck 5, Operations A-OPS Ensign (jg) Jefferies 1030) Alex listen to Markra's reply "Well there's plenty more of the ship to see other than just Operations, well  that is if your free of course" Alex hoped that Markra would accept his offer as he wanted to get to know the petty officer as they would be working together a lot during their upcoming time onboard the Mithrandir, he hoped that they could build a good team bond with Markra the same as which he had built with Kit ~Hope he's not busy, as this will give me a chance to look around as well~ Alex was surprised to hear that Markra had no plans for the rest of the day, "Well ok then where would you like me to show you?" (reply Markra) He then turned to look at Kit who was standing beside him. "You want to join us on a little tour of the Mithrandir" he asked (reply Spero)  (posted by Tom) (USS Mithrandir - Ready Room - CO, Captain Archibald Stakes - 1425) Archibald saw the engineer pick up the bottle and raise an eyebrow. Although there was no way that she could have seen that, she turned her attention to Archibald again. "May I?" Archibald wondered for a second what her intention was but then considered that she probably would not take a swig. Not after what he had just said. So he nodded, interested to find out what she was thinking or contemplating. "If you would, sir, could you tell me more about this attack, and the Admiral's involvement?" Archibald snorted. "That surprises me, Ensign," Archibald said, strangely annoyed. Not with the Ensign but more with himself that he still felt a pang of annoyance when the destruction was mentioned. "Mostly because I believe you were there at the time. I have reason to suspect that the Maltorian scout that fired upon us was under orders of Starfleet. But suspecting is not the same as having proof. I can combine it with an apologetic gift of a bottle, but it still isn't proof. Not yet, anyway." Archibald sighed, realising that he let himself get carried away again. "Not yet, Ensign. But if that's all, I have more work to do now." "Thank you, sir," Lanista said. "I can see that you're busy, so I'll go. But I have two requests. First, I should like to wear one approved personal item with my Duty uniform, perhaps my ahn-woon, as a belt, or one vambrace with my House insignia. Not with the Class-A, of course. It is, of course, your call. And second, I believe I know the proper way to share the whiskey with the entire crew “if you will indulge me." Archibald regarded the bottle for a second then picked it up and handed it over. "You may surprise me, Ensign. But you better make sure I will like the result." he said. "As for your personal effects, show me what you want to wear and I will think about it. There is a certain allowance with regards to Starfleet attire regarding cultural backgrounds but not that much that I will allow for any pick and mix. Now if you don't mind, Mr. Lanista, you are dismissed." (reply by Lanista, any) (Posted by Adrie Geuken) (USS Mithrandir - Ready Room - CO, Captain Archibald Stakes - 14:38) Sanok stood at attention.  "Thank you again, Captain Stakes.  I will endeavor to show myself worthy of this." Archibald gestured the Ensign to sit down. "You will do no such thing, Ensign. You received the promotion because of actions taken not because of actions expected. It is logical to place officers in a higher position when their actions have shown that they will be capable of fulfilling the additional requirements." At least it was logical to Archibald. But working with Alosar, he felt there was a distinct difference between his logic and the Vulcan logic. It wasn't strange that people from different walks of life would react differently to the same situation, but different reactions could create problems. And it was Archibald's job to iron out the differences before they could become problems. Archibald looked up. "Ensign, a personal question, if I may. You made a choice about your guiding principles. Why did you choose the way you chose? " (Reply by Sanok, any) (Posted by Adrie Geuken) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.02.23 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Mithrandir - Deck 03 - SciO Ensign (jg) Percival Bellephoron the Third - 1023) =/\= Lanista to The Third,=/\= Percival heard, which raised both eyebrows to the highest position in true Vulcan style. =/\= What sort of Scientific Emergency, provided those terms aren't mutually exclusive, can you have in spacedock? =/\= "Sir, one would appreciate it if one was extended the courtesy of being properly addressed. My name is Ensign Percival Bellephoron the Third, al be it that in times of needs this may be condensed to Ensign Percival Bellephoron or Ensign Bellephoron in times of dire needs. Furthermore I do not believe that one has used the word emergency. I believe I used the phrase: brooks no delay. A situation that brooks no delay does not necessarily constitute an emergency, but a situation that requires urgent attention and tout-suit actioning. I do declare that an emergency constitutes a situation that brooks no delay, but not visa-versa. I fear I must insist on clear and concise communication being used when discussing matters of great importance. A mistake may proof to be costly if not communicated properly." Percival took a deep breath. "However, as highest ranking scientific officer on board this vessel, and I feel I must stress this vessel to be a scientific vessel, and furthermore as highest ranking scientific officer who has quite recently completed a survey of the scientific installations on board this vessel, which again I must stress is a scientific vessel, I feel completely justified in contacting you. As it stands the efficiency of the scientific equipment surveyed leaves considerable room for improvement. To ensure proper functioning so that this vessel is capable of performing its scientific tasks I have identified three hundred and twenty six items that will require the assistance of the engineering department whilst addressing them. Although I must admit, only two hundred and eighty three items that are required from a scientific point of view. A further forth three entries are due to failures against the health and safety regulations for scientific vessels as laid down during the Federation Alpha Macro Conference on Puluvia V in the year twenty four hundred and three. As Good Sir was advised to me to be the highest ranking engineering officer on board this vessel I thought it prudent to contact good Sir to establish an action plan to remove the said inadequacies. And as we are not to know when this vessel will be required to perform its duty, we must ensure timely resolution of the issues at hand for otherwise we may have to perform our tasks with a vessel which is not fully capable of performing said tasks." (Reply Lanista) (Posted by Adrie Geuken) (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay ATac Ensign Ben Soma- 1400) Ben entered sickbay still dressed in his whites, a fresh new pip on his collar showing his promotion to Ensign senior grade. It seemed like only yesterday that he had reported to sickbay on the Dennison for his medical and now here he was in sickbay on the Mithrandir. Looking around Ben took in the room, smaller than the sickbay of the Dennison but the decor seemed almost identical, same colours and equipment. There were fewer biobeds here but there were other medlabs that made up for the shortage of space in the room. He walked further into sickbay and noticed Doctor Nymes in his office so he proceeded to the door and knocked to gain the doctors attention and said, "Hey Doc, ready for my check-up." (reply Nymes) (posted by Milo Young)  (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay CMO Dr Nymes- 1401)  Nymes, still dressed in his whites, looked up at the knock on the door. It was a security officer that the trill had seen before, but one that he hadn’t had much time to get to know, given the attachment to Geneva Sickbay. As such, when the security officer said " Hey Doc, ready for my check-up.", the trill looked blankly at the man for a fraction of a second, before drawing up the records on the screen and familiarising himself with the man. “Ensign Ben Soma.” He said. “Congratulations on your promotion.” (reply soma) “I have a copy of your medical records from the Academy, but is there anything you would like to add to them? Help me get to know you?” (reply Soma rfm) The trill nodded and tapped a few controls as Soma finished his life story. “And do you have any ongoing medical conditions that you haven’t mentioned so far? Any problems since the fire?” (reply soma) (posted by GC) (USS Mithrandir - Sickbay ATac Ensign Ben Soma-1403) “Ensign Ben Soma.” Dr Nymes said. “Congratulations on your promotion.” "Thank you, Lieutenant, congratulations on your promotion as well." Ben replied. “I have a copy of your medical records from the Academy, but is there anything you would like to add to them? Help me get to know you?” Ben thought about his family history and his youth. No major illnesses affected the family and as a child he was fortunate, no major sickness. Other than the regular accidents of youth he was healthy. "Other than the broken arm I suffered in a holosuite when I was younger there haven't been many injuries worth mentioning. I practise martial arts and as a result I get a few bruises and some minor cuts." Ben said to the Doctor. "As for the family history, there are no diseases or other illnesses that I am aware of. My mother always said our family was born under a very lucky star. There was an uncle of mine who was mis-diagnosed with lung cancer, but he actually had pneumonia. I believe there was a problem with one of the scanners used on him." "My father's side of the family was also quite healthy, no long term ailments or medical concerns. I guess I inherited some good genes." Ben said with a smile. (reply Nymes iyw) The trill nodded and tapped a few controls as Soma finished his life story. “And do you have any ongoing medical conditions that you haven’t mentioned so far? Any problems since the fire?” "I have been feeling pretty good since the fire, no breathing problems or any dizziness or nausea." Ben replied, thinking back to the events following the Hyperion blaze. "During Sanok's rescue I did take a hard hit in the back, I meant to get it checked but it eased off and it slipped my mind. Perhaps a quick scan just for peace of mind." (reply Nymes) (posted by Milo Young) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.02.24 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Mithrandir CO's quarters CO, Captain Archibald Stakes 22:40) Archibald shrugged as he put a glass of red wine in front of his wife and sat down beside her on the couch in his 'living' room. He sipped from his own glass of water. "Sorry about the dinner," he said, "Apparently a CO of a Nova is not supposed to cook for himself or his guests. All he gets is a standard mini replicator with a menu of thirty two dishes, fifteen desserts and forty five drinks. I guess the designers considered CO's to be more interested in drinking than eating. It's a good thing that Esme and Bill are out. I wouldn't know where otherwise we could have eaten our family dinner." Lydia took a sip of her wine and pulled a face at the replicated liquid. "Where are they?" she asked. "Esme is at a going away party for one of my officers who didn't make the cut. She was a flight officer, Ensign Simmons. As for Bill, well....." Lydia grinned. "He does seem to have a spring in his steps nowadays, doesn't he?" she commented then brought the glass back to her mouth but a sniff was enough to put the glass down on the little coffee table. "You know, you should get Mei Ling all the help you can give to get her own place up and running. This wine is awful. As for the food, is wasn't much better. Sorry, but it wasn't. If you think you can entice me visiting you in this little bathtub, you really should do something about the presentation." Archibald took a sip of his water, grunted and put the glass down next to his wife's. "I know," Archibald said as he leant backwards. "But there are other fish to fry first." He moved closer and extended his arm to encompass his wife but she got up before he could do so. She winked at him. "You did say we were alone, didn't you?" She walked off to the right, but then stopped as he called out to her. "That's the bathroom, the bedroom is to the left." Lydia grinned and walked into the enclosure to her left. Archibald grinned, took the two glasses and placed them next to the replicator and turned to follow her when his comm badge beeped. =/\= Nymes to Captain Stakes. Further to our conversation today, I must regrettably inform you that Lt Dale Bracken has been transferred to Earth under the Medical Protocols, effective immediately. As such I request a meeting to discuss this in person. =/\= The smile disappeared as Archibald leant his butt against the wall, cursing soundlessly. After a few seconds, he sighed and tapped his badge. "Understood, Lieutenant, my ready room?" (reply Lewis) After talking to the Doctor, Archibald banged his fist against the wall as he pushed himself off it. "Don't wait up for me," he shouted towards the bedroom before he turned and left his quarters. (USS Mithrandir Airlock CMO Dr Nymes 22:45) “ Nymes to Captain Stakes. Further to our conversation today, I must regrettably inform you that Lt Dale Bracken has been transferred to Earth under the Medical Protocols, effective immediately. As such I request a meeting to discuss this in person. “ =/\=Understood, Lieutenant, my ready room?=/\= “Aye sir. On my way. Nymes out.” Nymes replied, aware that the news he bore wasn’t what the captain wanted to hear. The trill smartly turned, walking back through the airlock to the Mithrandir proper, and to the turbolift that would take him to Deck One and the Ready room. (USS Mithrandir Ready Room CO, Captain Archibald Stakes 22:50) Archibald sat down and waited for Lewis to arrive, drumming his fingers whilst he waited. When the chime finally announced an arrival, Archibald flicked the door switch on his desk and called out. "Enter!" (reply by Lewis, Lydia, any) (Posted by Adrie Geuken) (USS Mithrandir Ready Room CMO Dr Nymes 2252) “Enter!” The doctor obeyed the command, stepping through the door with his usual air of professionalism, PADD and case in hand, before starting the conversation. “Sir. As of 2242 hours today, Lieutenant Dale Anne Bracken was advised to take a medical leave of absence under the SFM protocol. As you are aware, this provides the capacity for current orders to be superseded by the CMO and the officer in question to be transferred to a location properly equipped to diagnose, investigate and treat any ongoing medical condition which is beyond the means of the current station. Lt Bracken has therefore been transferred to a specialist medical facility on Earth.” (reply iyw) Nymes continued. “In our earlier conversation you voiced a concern that Lt Bracken may have been psychologically affected by SFI debriefing. During my medical examination, I can confirm that a technique called TSP or Telepathic Static Projection was used. If untreated, TSP can lead to irreversible damage to the victim. A full briefing on TSP is in that PADD, sir. If you have any questions regarding this, I will endeavour to answer them, within the normal limits of confidentiality.” (reply Stakes rfm) “As the lieutenant was serving as a command officer, all access codes have been reset as per protocol.” (reply stakes) (posted by GC) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.03.01 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (Starbase Geneva - Deck 27, Central Ring - OO Crewman Montro - 1200) "Quirk" said Montro in a sing song voice.  "Quirk" Montro skipped down the corridor, his satchel swinging behind him.  He had spent all his time since arriving at Geneva helping to move the new crew onto the ship.  It was a lot of fun meeting all those new people and seeing all those new things. But he now had a moment of peace and decided he'd track down his friend Quirk.  Quirk's brother, Trog, had a barber shop somewhere around here, but everywhere that Montro asked, he got strange looks and the computer didn't even know where they were located. He didn't want to call them either or it would spoil the surprise and Montro liked surprises.  Who didn't?  It was like that time the sonic shower had malfunctioned and shook all his fur off.  A very strange feeling. "Quirk" said Montro in a sing song voice.  "Quirk" A strange and interesting odor floated through the air and snagged Montro's sensitive snout.  His ears flicked and he stopped mid skip. "Quirk?" he said again. ~It's Quirk!~ he thought, as he bounded forward once more. "Quirk!!!!" he said excitedly as he rounded the corner and collided with a tall humanoid. "Murmp" he said, as he became tangled in her skirt. "Get away from me!" said a frustrated voice. "But you will look much better with no hair!" said a whiney voice.  "And all those clothes!" "Stop it!" the woman shrieked as she stood up, fending the Ferengi off. "That dress is just hiding too many good things!" Quirk said. "Ack!" she responded and ran away screaming. Montro blinked and said, "Quirk!" "Montro?!?" said the diminutive Ferengi responded. The two leapt in the air and hugged each other jubilantly.  Like any act of nature that must eventually happen, it was acknowledged, but dreaded at the same time. "When did you come back?" asked Quirk. "A few days ago, but I wanted to surprise you." he said.  "What happened?" "Oh, I was cutting her hair off," Quirk said.  "I even mentioned how good she would look naked." Montro nodded, a lot of folk wore unnecessary clothes, but he guessed they were cold since they didn't have as much fur as he did.  Quirk and Montro tried to come up with extra fur for some of those people using fur that he had shed, but a lot of people didn't seem to like his fur as much as he did. "Then she just started screaming." Quirk said, disappointed. Montro nodded.  "Let's eat!" "Okay!" said Quirk, his disappointment disappearing. "Hey, I saw this neat restaurant on Deck 28," said Montro, as he grabbed his Ferengi friend and headed for a larger world of chaos. (Reply Any) (posted by Kaweo Kanoho) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.03.02 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (Starbase Geneva - Deck 51, Public Arboretum - FO Cmdr. Olorin Okita - 2208) Olorin sat at the top of a hill taking in the evening air.  He drew his coat around him as the park's simulated weather grew a bit chillier.  It was an odd affectation, but he was more sensitive to the cooler temperatures that ships were set at.  He dug into a pocket and drew out a flask.  Filled with a warming beverage, he took a quick sip and placed it back in his coat. It had been a couple years since he had actually stepped foot on real land.  This park was the closest to the real thing.  He could hear some kind of cricket like sound and some bird was singing its own tune.  He closed his eyes and took in his surroundings through his other senses.  Even the air seemed different.  He ran his fingers through the grass.  He enjoyed the luxurious space the deck offered, a sensation he was sure would be a high commodity once the Mithrandir was given a mission. It was a new beginning of sorts for Olorin and he wondered what it meant.  One hardly thought of starting over at sixty five, but it wasn't entirely unheard of.  He pondered a life that could have been, filled with family.  But it was not his lot in life to enjoy a large family.  He still had nephews and nieces and siblings, but he had not seen them in years.  They exchanged letters and gifts regularly, but it was not the same. Even so, Olorin counted himself lucky to have had at least been able to watch his son grow up to be a man.  To have loved his wife for as long as he did.  And to have served under a superior officer like Gabrielle.  The fact that none were still in the realm of the living did not dampen his attitude.  He had long come to grips with the transience of life and lived to continue to contribute.  To help as best as he could to make the universe a better place to live in. It was easy to lose sight of that goal at times.  And so it was good to sit and simply ponder the universe.  Let it come to him for a change. (Reply Any) (posted by Kaweo Kanoho) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mission: Interlude Stardate: 2408.03.06 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (USS Mithrandir - Bridge - CO, Captain Archibald Stakes - 09:55) "Status, Mister Okita?" Archibald looked around as he scanned the little bridge. He looked at Ensign Jefferies as he sat in front of the OPS position on the outer wall behind Archibald and to his left. Then as Archibald continued his scan he saw Soma standing next to Sanok sitting behind the tactical position against the back wall to his left but in his front. Both were looking to their left at the viewscreen, as was Night, sitting behind the CONN position in front of Archibald. Continuing the scan, he saw Bellephoron, to his right in front of the science positions, then the empty position against the outer wall. He saw Olorin look at him sitting beside him until Archibald had to strain his neck to see behind him to see the chair that had been placed behind the two command chairs on the upper platform and Alosar sitting in it. Their eyes met for an instant, before Archibald looked forward again. Even with four outer ring positions and three inner positions filled, the bridge still seemed bare. "All systems green, Sir." Archibald nodded and got up from his chair, signaling the Commander to take over the command chair. He walked almost leisurely to the CONN position in front of the two command chairs in the central depression and tapped Night on her shoulder. "Move aside, Mister Night. Captain's prerogative." he said, then, when the officer failed to vacate her position immediately, he followed on with: "I am a qualified pilot, Mister Night. *And* I outrank you." (reply Elenor, any) Finally Archibald slipped into the seat and reviewed the CONN-console for a few seconds. He nodded satisfied then keyed in a few commands. "Helm ready, Commander," he reported, "Maneuvering thrusters online and active." Olorin's voice boomed. "Inform the Starbase that we are ready to depart. Be ready to disengage the umbilical cords on my mark. ... Mark." The ship shivered slightly when the 'lifelines' were cut and were withdrawn by the starbase. "Starbase acknowledges, Sir. They wish us u 'bon voyage'." "Thank them for their best wishes. Captain, take us out, thrusters only." Archibald nodded and keyed in a few commands, activating the aft thrusters for a split second to start the movement forward. "Dock doors opening." Archibald looked up at the screen and estimated the time it would take the doors to fully open. From that he quickly estimated the required speed and activated the aft thrusters again, then opened the port ones when the ship started to drift to port, which suggested that the aft thrusters needed readjusting a bit. He then had to activate the starboard ones to counter the port motion and decided to burn the afts a bit longer. With increased speed the ship moved gracefully forward but reached the doors well before they were fully opened. ~Sometimes having a small ship has its advantages~ Archibald thought with a small smile on his lips as he reactivated the aft thrusters and compensated with the upper ones. Archibald looked up as the ship dipped through the doors and was finally heading into deep space. Cutting the thrusters Archibald gave a burst with the impulse engines so that the ship picked up speed. "Ship has left the base, Commander," he commented. "Waiting for a destination." (Reply by ALL) (Posted by Adrie Geuken)