Pre-mission Log - Change of Command

Posted on Tue Jul 14th, 2020 @ 9:42pm by Fleet Admiral Gregory Maddock & Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton & Captain Jayam "Jay" Vidod & Commander Ta'mas & Commander Jae-Hwa Kwan & Senior Captain Sharrina Blackstone & Commander Paige O'Halloran "Banshee" & Commander Kaelyth Solmarr & Commander Christopher SilverShadowMoon & Lieutenant Commander Kelvenn Trevaen
Edited on on Thu May 6th, 2021 @ 9:23am

Mission: To Tread Cautiously
Location: Magellan Station Command Hub
Timeline: 2388/09/01 0800 (Mon. Sept. 01 2388 8:00am)
Tags: mission, edited to change the mission.

The time for the change of command ceremony had been changed to 0800 hours and would no longer be held in the main briefing room as previously planned. While Admiral Gregory Maddock wanted it simple, he also wanted those in the command operations department to have something more than a memo on the occasion. He wanted all those in the department that was currently on duty there, along with the senior staff.

The nerve center of all administrative and operations activity on the Colonial-class Planetary Base, the Command Center Hub was a large room, more than two stories high and with overhead windows where one could see the sky. There were consoles, monitors, and data screens all around the room within different duty stations throughout.

Ta’mas entered the large room, which was filled with activity, and noting the departments already there, looked around for his wife, wondering if she was as well.

Paige had been bent over a security officer's shoulder. They talked quietly about some piece of routine in the alcove of multiple stations that served as the security/tactical wing. She straightened and turned just as Ta'mas came in. With a smile she hopped on and slid down the ladder down to the lower level near the smoothly, resuming a professional stance at the bottom. "Commander Ta'mas," she said with even humor in her emerald eyes.

Having admired the way she came down, he had slightly smiled, holding back his usual one as he started walking towards her. "Commander O'Halloran. It has been over an hour since I last saw you. Way too long."

Her smile threatened to broaden at the memory of their parting but she kept it under control. "As smooth as ever Commander, true for you as well." She quipped back, "All set for the pomp and circumstance?" She asked.

Ta'mas nodded, "I am. And grateful we were not required to wear the dress uniform."

Paige nodded. As good as he looked in one, they were not the most comfortable. "That's a blessing to be sure." She agreed. Just stopping herself from making a comment about the previous dress uniforms that were short dresses and her picturing him in that. She said nothing however keeping professional, though her mouth twitched briefly as she suppressed the humor.


Andraste Vaughn had been on the colony for next to no time at all and yet she was already here for a briefing of some sort, of some sort of importance although she wasn't entirely clear on the reasons. There was still a great deal that she was catching up on to be fully briefed on her new post here, but that would come with time. While doing that, she walked in, nodded politely at the others, and found a place to wait for the rest of the attendees.

Jayam Vidod was looking up at a data screen, going over the latest space traffic report, when he caught sight of Andraste walking in. With not just anyone having clearance to be there and all departments required for the ceremony, he felt he knew most likely who she was.

"Find out what the hold up is," he said to another officer there, before heading over to greet her. A polite and genuine smile spread across his face as he approached her. "Doctor Andraste Vaughn?"

Andra returned the polite smile. "Yes, that would be me. I suppose the new face was easy to spot."

"Oh definitely." He extended out a large hand to shake hers, "I'm Captain Jayam Vidod, Chief of Flight Operations and Second Officer. Welcome to Magellan Station, Serene Colony, Doctor. Your timing is perfect."

"Thank you, Captain. I'm pleased to meet you," she said with a warm smile. "Oh? Why is my timing perfect?"

"We have a Change of Command Ceremony this morning," he replied pleasantly and had wondered if she hadn't had the chance to read the whole memo. "Admiral Maddock's been promoted as the new Fleet Admiral for Unity Fleet. Rear Admiral Thorton is taking over as our commanding officer, Captain Sharrina Blackstone as his number one."

"Good timing indeed," she agreed pleasantly. Truth was, some might have been surprised to learn about a change in command right after arriving but she wasn't. She was used to it after her years in Starfleet. "I'm glad to be here."

Jay nodded. "There's a buffet set up in the Hub's break room too. Just a heads up," he half-smiled with plans to take advantage of it, and then his smile grew as he was caught by an Asian-looking man walking towards them. "Commander Kwan, so you decided to join us."

"No other place to be for the next hour," the man replied, pleasantly. He turned his attention to Andraste, and on approach, extending out a hand to shake hers. He introduced himself, "I'm Commander Jae-Hwa Kwan, the interim diplomatic lead. I also teach at the academy campus."

"Doctor Andraste Vaughn," she introduced herself again, although her smile was no less warm. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Jae responded. "How are you enjoying Serene so far? Or have you had the chance?" he added thoughtfully.

"I'm afraid I really haven't had much of a chance," the colony's newest doctor admitted. "It seems I'd only just gotten my office set up and ready before I had to come here. So far, my impression is that it's a lovely place that I look forward to getting to know better." She tilted her head slightly, dark eyes flashing. "Have you been here long, Commander?"

From Jae’s perspective, he had. “Yes, I have.” he smiled again. “I’ve been here just short of seven months. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, but it’s nice to see some fresh faces.”

Meanwhile, the flight control officer Jay had been talking to earlier had caught Jay’s attention. “Again, it was nice to meet you, Doctor. If you’ll both excuse me,” the large Orion hybrid said and then left them.


Completely by coincidence, Kaelyth Solmarr and the Counselor Kelvenn Trevaen arrived at the same time. Both paused and gave the other a head-tilted look that said 'interesting', then they turned toward the room. Kelvenn stepped back, allowing Kaelyth to precede him, and Kaelyth gave a nod of thanks as he passed the other man. Kelvenn entered behind the Operations Chief and moved off to the side of the door as Kaelyth gave the room a once-over prior to deciding which direction to take next.

Upon noticing Kaelyth, Ta'mas watched him for a moment and a thought came to him. It had been close to two weeks since the senior staff had met together, some of them meeting each other for the first time. Though likely there would have been some interactions, there had been no incidences or missions since then. So with the starbase large, colony and academy included, some of the senior staff may not have interacted that much. Ta'mas had gotten to know Kaelyth some and had come to consider him a friend. He caught Kaelyth''s eyes and waved at him to come join him and Paige.

Kaelyth caught the motion in his peripheral vision and slid his eyes toward the source. Seeing both Ta'mas and Paige, he smiled and approached them. "Good morning," he offered with his usual warmth.

“Good Morning, Kaelyth,” Ta’mas returned. “So how was your weekend?”

Kaelyth shrugged lightly. "Quiet, which is good. I am quite certain that will not be the case for long," he said with a chuckle. The truth was that he did not mind when it was not quiet -- he truly did not mind when it was though either -- because he enjoyed his work. And he had spent more than enough time alone just during his childhood to last a lifetime. Thankfully, these days, he had Kiyanna. But there were things which she could not provide, and so there were times when he preferred to be working rather than remembering. "How was yours?"

"It was great," Ta'mas smiled, needing to keep from smiling too much. "Actually, it was more than great." He glanced over to Paige and gestured with his hand between the two. "I know you briefly met each other at the staff meeting and I have no idea if you two have had the chance to talk since. Either way, I thought it would be nice if we all have lunch together some time."

Kaelyth smiled at the couple. He could easily see the love between them, and it reminded him of how he and Enyrra had been. A look of nostalgia swept over his features for the briefest of moments before he pushed his own thoughts aside and nodded. "I would enjoy that," he said, genuinely meaning it.

Paige nodded, "Yes we've talked briefly, in fact, has some stories ta tell that is best over a pint and a meal, I've just not had a chance to ask as yet." She said, "I'll follow up once we've sorted our schedule with some options for you if that suits?" She asked the Operations Chief.

Kaelyth smiled at the lady. "That is perfectly acceptable. Thank you." There was a bit more chit chat -- that was what he had heard that it was called -- then the couple moved off to mingle, and Kaelyth did the same, taking a moment to determine who had arrived after he and the counselor had.

Although his height often made him stand out, Christopher SilverShadowMoon managed to slip into the hub unobtrusively, tail and all. He loved that the hub doors were a bit taller, he didn't have to duck as much as he usually did.

Once inside he headed over to one of the science stations and took a quick overview and a word with the science officer already there.


"Hey, Christopher..." The Elliciean’s Vulcan hybrid best friend had left his previous conversation and walked up to him from behind.

Having sensed his friend's approach while giving instructions to one of his science officers, Christopher held up his tail. The tip of which pointed directly at the Vulcan hybrid in a clear signal to shush and wait a moment.

Ta'mas immediately took a step back, raising his hands, and knowing from experience, held still.

After finishing with the science officer, Chris turned to Ta'mas. Eye crinkled in amusement at the body language of his friend, the tail obviously still struck terror.

"Ta'mas. Hello"

With the memory of getting struck in the back of the neck, Ta'mas raised a brow in return at Chris' attitude. He was not amused and decided to go straight to the reason why he had approached him. "After we left the dinner party, Paige and I had come across something of interest. Did you know there is a cave, more like a cavern, under the waterfall not far from the settlement?"

Chris tilted his head in thought, he had done a great deal of surveying himself and what he had not done he had read. It took a moment to remember the one near the Elliciean homes, "Ah, yes. Know of the cavern I do. What of Interest you found?" He questioned trying to prompt his memory for what Tamas had found in the cavern. The planet was a mine of findings of a variety of sorts for someone in science.

"Some unusual crystals and what appears to be remnants of abandoned nests." Recognizing a set of footsteps among others approaching, Ta'mas then suggested, "How about we meet later this morning to talk about this, in your office?"

Thoughtfully Chris gave a nod. "Yes, would be best if we did."


Having treated them to breakfast in what had been his private dining room, gone over expectations, priorities, and important information that had just arrived from Starfleet HQ, Greg led the new command team towards the base command operations hub. Once there, all that was seated at their postings, who could, would then stand.

Quiet and with a stern expression, Lucas walked beside Sharrina. While remaining respectful to the Fleet Admiral’s wishes, he had preferred that the change of command had taken place more privately in the main briefing room as originally planned, that they had gotten it over with.

Sharrina was not normally one for spectacle either -- that was for other Klingons, and her father's heritage definitely didn't go in for such. However, this had been what the Fleet Admiral had wanted, so here she was. Her expression was not nearly as severe as Lucas'. Hers more spoke of quiet authority, calm, stately serenity maybe. Meditation, as her father had taught her to do, had that effect on her.

Her eyes cast sidelong to Lucas, and she subtly touched his arm, whispering very softly so only he would hear. "You look like you're about to ream a cadet." She was half teasing to lighten his mood but half-serious to inform him in case he had not been aware of his outward presentation.

Lucas' eyes went over to hers and remained there for a moment before returning to where they were walking. His expression lightened, though the scowl was still slightly there.

Sharrina smiled slightly, giving her head the smallest shake. This man was impossible, but that was okay with her. She liked a challenge; that was the downfall of being half Klingon. She let it go though for now and continued on beside him in silence.

They entered the hub to Jay turning around to see them, shouting out "Admiral on the deck!" with Greg shaking his head for Jay's amusement.

Those that could and had been sitting immediately stood at their seats. All eyes on him, Greg looked around half-smiling. "Relax. The reason why we're performing the change of command here is so I can say goodbye to you all at once. This way saves me some time and a hell of a lot of walking." He half-smiled. "I haven't been here long but I can say with certainty you're a good crew. It's been a privilege to work with you all."

"It's been an honor and a privilege to work with you, Sir!" someone shouted out and there were murmurs and nods in agreement.

Chris gave a nod of his head in agreement with the shouted sentiment. The man clearly loved Sapientia and the work everyone had been putting into it. He could find no fault with that, even if his yeoman was a bit prickly.

"I, for one, am glad you're not going far, sir," spoke out Jay.

"Same here," said Jae. Although he had liked the last CO, he'd been looking forward to the chance of working with Greg Maddock.

Lucas' expression had softened at the Admiral's words. He was feeling humbled at the sentiment. But he remained quiet, listening, the fact that he had really big shoes to fill finally sinking in.

"The quadrant couldn't get a better fleet CO," Jay continued.

"Are you trying to get a promotion, Jay," Greg teased.

"Oh no, sir," Jay smiled, "I'm happy right where I am."

Greg smirked, "Alright. Well, let's get this over with." He turned towards Lucas and Sharrina. "I'm placing the station in good hands. That, I have no doubt. Computer, transfer all command codes to Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton. Authorizing Senior Captain Sharrina Blackstone as Executive Officer. Voice authorization: Maddock-delta-one."

The computer's voice responded, "Transfer complete. Magellan Station and Serene Colony are now under the command of Rear Admiral Lucas Thorton. The executive officer is now Senior Captain Sharrina Blackstone."

Then a bosun's whistle was sounded and with almost a sly look, Lucas slightly smiled, "I relieve you, Sir."

As if he could see right through him, Greg replied nonchalantly, "I stand relieved."

The two men shook hands and then Greg looked around saying to everyone, "Well...dismissed."

~End