Change of Command (Part 1)

Posted on 03/12/2020 @ 4:32pm by Captain Cian D'Anvers & Lieutenant JG Salynn Oram & Lieutenant JG Jasmine Langtree & Lieutenant JG Marcus Giaus Aurilieus
Edited on on 03/12/2020 @ 4:36pm

Mission: S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: Conference Room, Deck 1
Timeline: Day 5 at 1040

Cian D'Anvers stepped off the transporter pad and turned automatically to offer his hand to his wife. Not that she needed the assistance; rather, it was part of the old-world manners instilled in him as a young child. Manners and customs that, no matter how diligently he tried to do otherwise, tended to crop up from time to time -- usually when he was preoccupied with something. Or worried. Leonie accepted the hand and offered an almost imperceptible squeeze, a married couple's shorthand, as she stepped down.

"Welcome aboard the Crazy Horse, Commander," the transporter technician said. He had that clean-scrubbed, fresh out of the Academy look about him; the kind of face that said he had yet to discover the reality of shipboard life. While he shifted from one foot to the other in a surfeit of nerves, his smile was genuine and welcoming as he continued. "Commander Ysayne requests that you join her in the Conference Room on Deck 1. Do you require directions?"

"Thank you but, no need," Cian said. He'd been on a Luna Class vessel in simulations back at the Academy and had spent enough time prowling its corridors, hunting intruders, that he knew the ship ... at least well enough to get to the Bridge without covering himself in embarrassment. As they exited the transporter room, heading toward the nearest turbolift, Cian turned toward her. "Change of command because time's a factor." His lips quirked upward ever so lightly at the slight frown that marred her forehead whenever the speed with which this had all happened came up. "How about you join me for that and then you can head on down to Medical to make yourself known?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Leonie said. She'd been there when he'd taken command of the Zheng He and though she wasn't superstitious (neither of them were), she did like a good tradition. And so, they walked side by side without touching or hand-holding. That had been drilled into her quite a while back; public displays of affection were generally frowned upon. To her mind, it was an antiquated custom but what could you do? Starfleet. The one word encompassed so much, it was hard to know where to start.

[Conference Room, Deck 1]

They entered the Conference Room to find the ship's (outgoing) Captain already there as was an older Bajoran. She smiled, a practice smile that gave away little, a Captain's smile, and walked over to where they stood. "Commander D'Anvers, welcome on board the Crazy Horse. May I present the ship's counselor, Lieutenant Toran?"

“A pleasure, Commander,” Ilos said with smile and a smile. “Or Captain, rather.”

Archer strode confidently into the room, eager to be early unlike the last time. Seeing the tall alpha male standing with the soon-to-be-former captain and the counselor, Archer just knew he had to be the new commanding officer. He did his best to keep his spine straight while avoiding Sidonie's eye line which he was not quite prepared to meet again after their last encounter.

"Good morning, Commanders, Counselor... Doctor." The last title was said to Leonie, unsure as Archer was of her rank and role.

"Commander," Sidonie said, "allow me to introduce the ship's Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Archer Logan V and Lieutenant this is Commander Cian D'Anvers."

"Good morning," Cian said at once. Tall and lean, with brown hair and hazel eyes that didn't miss much, he turned toward the Lieutenant. "I'm looking forward to your report on the ship's overall condition, Lieutenant."

Still avoiding eye contact with Sidonie, Archer said, "Yes, sir. She's been a might squirrelly but nothing a bit of elbow grease can't rub out. The ship, that is, not..." He closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll just send you the maintenance logs."

"And not what, Lieutenant," Cian asked. He remembered, or thought he did, that this was the Lieutenant's first time as Chief though that didn't explain the subtext. While he couldn't quite 'read' the subtext, he could see the awkwardness in the man's posture.

"Nothing, sir," Archer said, wiping his brow. "Just got ahead of myself, sir."

Marcus entered the conference room looking at the PADD he held. As he looked up he saw the several of the crew, the Captain and two new arrivals that he did not know. "Captain." he added as he nodded to the unknown couple who by their body language stated that they were more than passingly familiar with each other.

"Lieutenant," Sidonie said, "allow my to introduce Commander Cian D'Anvers and his wife, Doctor Leonie D'Anvers." She turned then to the newcomers and added, "Lieutenant Aurelius is our Chief Intelligence Officer."

Marcus nodded to the Captain, furrowing his brow as she introduced the pair of Commanders. "It is my pleasure, Commanders. Welcome to the Crazy Horse." Finishing he moved to the side of the room watching the crowd.

Jasmine snuck in while they had their back to her. She slowly made her way over to the chief engineer.. "What's going on, Archer?" Jazzy asked.

"Oh, hi," Archer said, nearly choking. Being surrounded now by so many people who probably looked way better naked than he did was not good for his equilibrium. "How...how are you?"

"Fine thanks, I was in Astro-metrics trying to find a clear path through the boundary layer of the rift. So whose the new officers? Jasmine asked.

"New commanding officer and his wife, so I hear," Archer said. At the mention of Astrometrics, it reminded him of the maintenance requests he'd been poring over all day. "Say, I heard the stellar cartography database isn't propagating correctly. Are you still finding problems with that in Astrometrics?"

"Yes as a matter of fact I am, I would appreciate you coming down later. Maybe we could figure it out together." Jasmine said.

Tahlin entered the conference room, and gave the occupants a look. The two newcomers were obviously a couple, one in medical blue, the other in command colors, both composed. By contrast, Commander Ysayne looked under control, but only just. The Bajoran doubted that the others had noticed something had shaken Ysayne, with the exceptions of Toran and Crazy Horse's intelligence officer.

Tahlin Saluted. "Commanders, Doctor?" she queried/extended greetings, "Lieutenant Lae'Or, Chief of Security and Tactical."

"Allow me to present Commander Cian D'Anvers and his wife, Doctor Leonie D'Anvers," Sidonie said.

"Of course.. Pleasure to make your acquaintance... I think that's the right expression, yes?"

Cian turned toward his wife. Idioms had never been his strong point though he was fluent in Federation Standard. After twenty-nine years in the Federation, he lost most of his accent.

Leonie, who understood, was already answering. "Yes, I believe it is," she said. "Though there are a number of variations."

She quieted as Sidonie moved toward the table, waiting for the last of the senior officers to arrive before performing her last duty as commanding officer.

Lieutenant Oram had wanted to be at the Helm during the rendezvous procedures with the USS Haslam, so she was running a little late after the handoff to her replacement. She knew that there were new personnel coming aboard from the rendezvous, but that was the extent of her knowledge. Her gossip-fu skills were rusty, so the Trill hadn't gotten an inkling of what lie ahead in the Conference Room. A tidy crowd had already preceded her, so she slipped in and brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

Alvar entered the room and made his way over to Commander Ysayne and the individual whom he recognized as the new CO of the ship, Commander Cian D'Anvers. "Commander D'anvers, I am Lieutenant Commander Alvar Othran," Alvar said, holding a hand out.

Having done his homework, however hurried, Cian, who was equal in height to the Commander, recognized the individual who would serve as his first officer; he met Alvar's gaze and smiled warmly as he shook his hand. "And this is my wife, Doctor Leonie D'Anvers. She'll be joining the medical team here on the Crazy Horse."

"Pleasure to meet you under these rather unusual circumstances," Leonie said as she extended her hand to shake.

"And it is pleasure to meet you as well," Alvar replied, shaking her hand.

"Attention to orders," Sidonie said. The room quieted almost at once and she found herself pleased to see their professionalism. She picked up the PADD, the one that changed everything about her life, from the conference room table and began to read. She was also pleased that her voice was clear and strong with no sign of the turmoil she felt other than the undulating colors shifting through the heavy weight of her hair and down her neck.

"To Commander Sidonie Ysayne, Stardate 239401.17. You are hereby requested and required to relinquish command of the vessel USS Crazy Horse to Commander Cian D'Anvers immediately upon his arrival. Signed, Commodore Morelock."

She set the PADD on the table and said, "Computer, transfer all command codes to Commander Cian D'Anvers. Voice authorization Indigo Romeo Sigma 4."

The computer responded at once. "Transfer is complete. The USS Crazy Horse is now under the command of Commander Cian D'Anvers."

Cian spoke, cognizant of the odd circumstances in which he found himself in command and of the fact that her command has lasted only four days. "Commander Ysayne, you are relieved."

"I am relieved," Sidonie responded. She had left a message for all of them; she understood on so many levels that brevity was best in this situation. "With your permission, Captain, I have a transport to catch and you have a mission to complete."

"Permission granted," Cian said quietly. "And don't worry, I'll take care of your ship."

"She's all yours now," Sidonie said softly, "but I'm going to hold you to that anyway." With a nod to everyone assembled, Sidonie walked out of the Conference Room and across the Bridge; she wanted to run but kept her step measured as she headed straight for the nearest transporter. The Haslam and her new life were waiting; then too, so was the Blackwell.

Though he had avoided eye contact with her, Archer could not help but watch Sidonie leave. She was truly a singular creature, and part of him could not help but wonder what a duty post under her would be like. Then he flinched as the words "under her" passed through his internal monologue. It was all he could do to fight the reddening in his cheeks.

(Continued in Part 2)

A post by:

Cmdr. Sidonie Ysayne
(Former) Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Cmdr. Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Leonie D'Anvers, M.D.
Medical Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lt. Commander Alvar Othram
Executive Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Toran Ilos
Chief Counselor
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Archer Logan V
Chief Engineer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Marcus Aurelius
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Jasmine Langtree, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Lae'Or Tahlin
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Salynn Oram
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Crazy Horse