Episode 1: Act 1 [The VerbenaVerse]

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~~META:
title = Episode 1: Act 1
~~
====== Episode 1: Showing the Flag - Act 1 ======

//Game session: 3/15/18//

//It has been eleven weeks since the Battle of Wolf 359, where Starfleet lost thirty-nine starships and over 11,000 lives. Although the Borg cube was destroyed in Earth orbit, other galactic powers eye the weakened Federation with covetous eyes and Starfleet is determined to protect their citizens. Several older ships have been reactivated and undergone hurried refits, including the //Miranda//-class NCC-31630 //USS Boston//, a sixty-five-year-old vessel previously patrolling the Betazed Sector under the command of Captain Yihong Shen. However, several senior officers, including Captain Shen, have been reassigned and new crewmembers are making their way to Starbase 211 to take their place.//

===== Stardate 44212.06: Sunday March 19th, 2367, 0940 hours =====
==== The Captain and the Chief Science Officer Arrive ====
The //Mediterranean//-class NCC-43730 //USS. Wyoming// docks at Starbase 211 and **Captain [[trek:venerable:pcs:aaron]]** begins the formal process of ceding command to his executive officer; he has been reassigned to take command of the //USS Boston//. Aaron has commanded the //Wyoming// for three years but is eager to transfer to a larger ship. It takes almost two days for the paperwork and miscellaneous details to be completed, but Aaron does take some time to explore the //USS Philippa Georgiou//, an //Ambassador//-class vessel undergoing refit on an external dock. 

**Lieutenant [[trek:venerable:pcs:kelly]]** also arrives at Starbase 211 on the 19th, and after securing temporary quarters, the science officer immediately volunteers for starbase duty. Kelly has spent the past few months on Betazed burning some accumulated leave time and awaiting reassignment; he still recalls with perfect clarity the moment news of Wolf 359 reached Betazed – the silence almost worldwide was deathly. As he pitches in, Kelly listens to fleet gossip, and is startled to learn that his predecessor on the //Boston//, one [[trek:characters:cole]], has "retired to Betazed" without waiting for his replacement. His concern grows as he learns more: the previous counselor, one [[trek:characters:bennington]], has "transferred to Starfleet Intelligence," which is definitely an unusual career move. 

To complicate matters further, Captain [[trek:characters:shen|Yihong Shen]], executive officer Commander [[trek:characters:piela|Benjamin Piela]], and security chief Lieutenant Commander [[trek:characters:rogan|Nicolette Rogan]] have all been removed from the //Boston// and their whereabouts are classified by Starfleet Intelligence. The commanding officer of Starbase 211 is Admiral [[trek:characters:shafiq|Farhana Shafiq]], the former commander of the //Boston// and a close friend of Captain Shen, who used to be her first officer. Starfleet Intelligence has not informed Admiral Shafiq of the three crewmembers' whereabouts, and she is making no secret of her displeasure.

===== Stardate 44218.78: Tuesday March 21st, 2367, 2030 hours =====
==== Aaron Meets the XO and the Chief of Security Arrives ====
Aaron decides to relax a bit before his meeting with Admiral Shafiq at 0800 hours in the morning. He visits the officer's lounge on Starbase 211 to get a drink, and spots his new executive officer, Commander [[trek:characters:shilvala|Shil'vala zh'Toril]], an Andorian //zhaan//, at the bar. She stands 1.7 meters((5'7")) with deep blue skin and white hair in long braids. She spots him and her antennae curl in recognition. She raises a glass of Andorian ale as an invitation and he joins her. She greets him with a warrior's handshake – forearm to forearm – and introduces herself. He does likewise and orders, "Scotch, neat," from the bartender. Once his drink arrives, they toast to new adventures and start talking. 

Aaron learns that Shil'vala grew up on a farm on Andoria and fled to Starfleet the first chance she got. She fully admits to enjoying flying the rickety crop-dusters on her family's farm, and to only appreciating the farming lifestyle after she left. Although she has no desire to return to her family's farm, she does enjoy growing her own food and has used executive privilege to stake out a small corner of the //Boston's// arboretum. Aaron has no problem with that, and she asks him about his command style. Aaron likens regulations as the foundation, but sometimes one must improvise out in deep space. Shil'vala agrees, and they move on to discussing the crew.

Shil'vala fills him in on the news of their predecessors' unusual departures, and of the replacements: Lieutenant Perrault, who Aaron knows by reputation, Lieutenant [[trek:characters:mbelaa|M'Belaa]], their female Caitan counselor, and **Lieutenant Commander [[trek:venerable:pcs:kimball]]**, their new security chief from Earth, although Shil'vala can't recall if he hails from Polynesia or Portugal. Aaron shrugs and muses, "They both have extensive coastlines." They then talk about chief engineer – and third officer – Commander T'kora, a female Vulcan who has been on the //Boston// since she departed spacedock in 2302. Aaron muses that she clearly knows every centimeter of their ship, and Shil'vala shares a rumor that T'kora has marked specific places to smack recalcitrant stations.

Shil'vala's face darkens, and she growls, "I warn you know I may have to injure our chief medical officer." She reveals their doctor is Lieutenant Commander [[trek:characters:heltorin|Hel-Torin Ghatorii]], a male Efrosian. Aaron admits he's not overly familiar with Efrosians, Shil'vala explains male Efrosians are culturally incorrigible flirts; they consider it the height of rudeness not to make sexual advances on members of whatever gender they prefer. Aaron groans and Shil'vala nods. They then move on to their conn and ops officers – a pair of bonded Bynars. Aaron admits that is the weirdest pairing that he's going to have to get used to; Shil'vala agrees. She then quietly warns him about Lieutenant Perrault's clash with Lieutenant Commander [[trek:characters:tvala|T'vala]] of Starfleet Intelligence; Aaron groans as another problem was just added to his plate.

Aaron and Shil'vala talk for a while as they get to know each other and feel out their respective styles. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Kimball Kinnison – who hails from Portugal – arrives at Starbase 211 and has enough time to secure quarters before falling over to sleep. Kimball has spent the past few weeks traveling from Earth; he was in Portugal when the Borg reached Sector 001 and his father died at Wolf 359.

===== Stardate 44220.09: Wednesday March 22nd, 2367, 0800 hours =====
==== Admirals and Jackasses ====
Aaron, Kelly, Kimball, Shil'vala, and M'Belaa gather in Vice Admiral Farhana Shafiq's office, a large space dominated by her collection of landscape paintings. They spot a painting of sunrise on Vulcan, and a starry sky over Andoria. However, they all notice the tension crackling from the admiral, and it's solely aimed at the other occupant in the room. Aaron takes the opportunity to survey the rest of his new command crew. Aaron himself is of Scottish descent and stands 1.87 meters((6'2")) with dark hair, green eyes, a goatee, and a solid, well-carried presence. He is thirty-two. Counselor M'Belaa stands 1.65 meters((5'5")) with tawny fur, a tail, and yellow felinoid eyes; she is barefoot, and her age is hard to estimate. Kimball Kinnison stands 1.85 meters((6'1")) with black hair in a crew cut, Mediterranean features, brown eyes, and a fit, muscular build. He is in his late twenties. Kelly Perrault is a shorter man at roughly 1.78 meters((5'8")), with brown hair and eyes and a nondescript, slight build.

In contrast, Admiral Shafiq is a short woman of Arab descent; she stands maybe 1.6 meters((5'3")) but has a look of intense anger. Aaron turns to the other person in the room and sees a human male, 1.93 meters((6'4")) with a muscular build, long reddish-brown hair and slightly unruly beard, and a right eye that glows red. However, he then hears his cybernetic left arm crackle, and everyone stares as corposant dances along it! The admiral's face is one of sheer confusion, but the burly man laughs and muses, "And I think we can classify the artifact as T'Kon. Catch!" He throws a small, iridescent rod at Aaron, who catches it unthinkingly in his right hand. The instant he does, his left arm gives off an audible click and the rod elongates to a spear! The large man nods to himself, clearly having proved some theory. 

Admiral Shafiq recovers and tersely introduces Lieutenant Commander [[trek:characters:bjornson|Thorir Atli Bjornson]] of Starfleet Intelligence; Bjornson gives a cheeky wave. Aaron recalls Bjornson served under [[trek:characters:picard|Jean-Luc Picard]] on the //Stargazer// before joining SI and becoming friends with Admiral [[trek:characters:uhura|Nyota Uhura]]. Admiral Uhura retired in 2362, and Bjornson now runs 'Special Projects.' Aaron asks, "Where did you get this?" Bronson replies, "That's classified. But you can keep it. I literally have a box of them." Aaron nods and realizes he's holding a shape-shifting weapon that's over six hundred thousand years old!

==== The Briefing ====
Admiral Shafiq glares at Bjornson for a second before roughly welcoming the five newcomers to Starbase 211. She outlines the basic mission of the //USS Boston//: show the flag to the Cardassians. She adds the fact that the //Boston// is the only available starship present at Starbase 211; the //Philippa Georgiou// is three weeks away from completing her refit, and the //Nebula//-class //USS Phoenix// is three days away. The //USS Sacramento// – the //Boston's// sister ship – and the //USS Montgomery Scott// will also be assigned to the starbase. Both are //Miranda//-class vessels, but the //Montgomery Scott// is property of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers.

Admiral Shafiq then practically growls, "The first mission for the //Boston// will be conducted on behalf of Starfleet Intelligence." Everyone turns their eyes to Bjornson; he nods respectfully and states, "Admiral Shafiq's statement that the //Boston// will show the flag is correct, but beyond the Cardassians, there are two other problems you need to be aware of." He explains the Talarian Republic, which is only fifty or so light years from Starbase 211, has mobilized. He details the recent contact between Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain [[trek:characters:endar|Endar]] of the Talarian warship //Q'Maire// from last month,((TNG episode: //[[https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Suddenly_Human_(episode)|Suddenly Human]]//, 2/22/67; Stardate 44143.7)) and how Picard returned [[trek:characters:jono|Jono/Jeremiah Rossa]] to the Talarians. Bjornson acknowledges Picard's act preserved the peace between the Federation and the Talarian Republic, and Talarian aggression is likely to fall upon the Cardassians as a result, but Admiral [[trek:characters:rossa|Connaught Rossa]] is sorely displeased – and making her way here to try and reclaim her grandson.

Bjornson then states, "And then there's the Orion problem." Aaron winces and Bjornson tosses a sympathetic nod to him before continuing, "The Orion Syndicate is aggressively hunting ancient artifacts from the T'Kon Empire for reasons unknown. Obviously, they ran into Captain Englyss a few months ago, but intercepted communiques from the Syndicate indicate that Lieutenant Perrault here is also on their radar." Kelly looks startled but shrugs helplessly. Bjornson adds, "And this is why the location where we found those T'Kon weapons is classified." The assembled officers nod as understanding clicks into place.

==== The Elephant in the Room ====
Bjornson then states, "Time to address the elephant in the room." He blinks, and then turns to Shil'vala and M'Belaa and adds, "My apologies, a human idiom." Both women nod, and Bjornson says flatly, "What happened to your predecessors is classified. That was my call, and I stand by it. I will answer no further questions about that matter at this time." The blunt declaration startles everyone, but Aaron nods in acceptance. Bjornson returns the nod and says, "And now, for your mission. The //Boston// is undergoing final checks today and will ship out tomorrow to the Cardassian border. A Cardassian vessel has been spotted lurking around a Class-L planet, and we need to know why. A more detailed briefing will be sent to you tomorrow, but the good news is your chief of security already has a summer villa on the planet."

Kimball groans as he realizes what Bjornson means; Bjornson gives him a sympathetic look and then explains, "The planet only has a designation: LV-397. Some mineral wealth, but nothing of strategic value. It could be used as a beachhead, however. And to make matters more fun, the vessel is the //Prakesh//." That name doesn't mean much to the others, but Admiral Shafiq groans. Bjornson smiles slightly and says, "And with that, I'll take my leave so Admiral Shafiq can explain. Good day, all." He departs without further word.

Admiral Shafiq grimaces and softly explains that the //Boston// and the //Prakesh// have clashed many times over the years, and the Cardassian captain – [[trek:characters:drucel|Gul Drucel]] – considers the //Boston// and Captain Shen to be a favored foe. The Starfleet officers recall that female Cardassian guls are rare, and usually mean the woman in question is infertile and/or ruthless enough to claw her way to the captain's seat. Aaron realizes he's inherited that feud and starts considering options. Admiral Shafiq dismisses them and tells them to go see their new ship. The five officers file out, and head for the turbolift. Counselor M'Belaa asks Aaron if he prefers that she wear footwear; he shrugs and says, "What you do in your off-time and in your quarters is your decision, but otherwise I would prefer it." She nods, accepting his decision.

----

<WRAP rightalign>
[[{}trek:venerable:recap:1_act_2|Act 2 =>]]
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{{tag>recap star_trek venerable}}
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