Part 3 : Version A - with the Thauran Ensign

Chapter 3:



I woke to the gentle voice of SHIP. “ Captain, I am sorry to distrub you, but the Swift Profit is powering up and power distribution indicates she is about to leave.”

I still felt tired but swung my legs out of bed.”Who has the Conn. ?”

“Lt. Three Four, Captian.”

“Give me the bridge.”

The Com link light went green. “Good motning, Lt.Three-Four. There are indications the Swift Profit is about to leave?” “Yes, Captain. They have completed fuel transfer and told Brahma Port they are planning to leave in 40 minutes.”

“Alright, keep me posted, I will be on the bridge in ten.”

I glanced at the time display and grunted. “That is the disadvantage of keeping Union OTT. When he said he will leave in the morning, he obviously didn't mean 0200 hrs in the morning.”

“No Captain, the Swift Profit chronometers running after Kaliment time.”

“And you know that how?”

“The Swift Profit has send five TLFAX messages since we are here and each message carries meta data, including a time stamp. This is neccesary for communicaton devices and methods that are not instantaneous like ours, Captain.”

“Makes sense of course. I am glad Ididn't ask this with Narth or Shea present.”

While I went to my bathroom facilities, SHIP's voice followed me.

“No one aboard would ever disrespect you.”

“I know but my friends, and especially those two like to point tthose things out always reminds me, that underneath it all I am still an ignorant hick from Nilfeheim .”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Since I am your SHIP, I have digested any information I could find on Nilfeheim. If I corelate all this with focus on you, I can clearly say you are not ignorant, Captain.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I went under the shower and enjoyed the first moments of ice cold water. “But you still think I am a hick, right? I should have said “Narth, Shea and you!”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">--!!--

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I found the Non Corp  holding the Conn, as he was the Watch Officer for the middle watch. He got up and repeated his earlier greeting. “Good morning Captain. The Swift Profit has completed refueling and her main energy source has gone from standby to full power.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Good morning Lieutenant.” I also acknowleged the rest of the Middlewatch and sat down in the Command Chair.

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Should I call the Senior Officers to the Bridge?” He asked.

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“No not yet, let them sleep.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Of course I knew the names of all my officers aboard but with the exception of Three Four  and TheOther manning Communications I knew little about them. As I turned to see who was at the engineering console, I could not completely stop the smile that crept into my face. “Mr. Warner, are you pulling double shifts? Haven't I seen you on First Dog watch too?”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“I wasn't on duty then, Captain. Sobody was.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“I see. Well Mr, Warner since you are the engineer on duty. Begin to buttom her up. We are leaving.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Aye Captain .”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Sitting at Shaka 's station was a very tall Andorian. According to his personal file he had completed his Midshipman year just a six month prior to us on the USS Boney Hoo. Unlike Shaka he was unable to use the Virtu Helm system, but had a high Helm rating of 503. Other than that he was more or less just a face to me. “Mr. Rohmor stand by for undocking manouvers.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Standing by, Ma'am.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">TheOther rised one of his hands. “Captain we are being hailed by the Swift Profit.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Put him on, audio only.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Swift's voice said. “Not feeling sociable, Captain Velvet ? No visuals?”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“I am still getting myself representable, Swift. Ready to leave?”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Women, you are always fussing about your looks. A shame you hide yours, anyway that is why I am calling. We're leaving for Sin 4 and if you haven't changed your mind, fire up your engines and let us fly together. If we are lucky there might be am opportunity or two as well on the way, and with two ships we might even try one of the bigger fish, if you're game.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Lead the way, Captain Swift. We are right behind you.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Let's see if your rusty Karthanian can keep up with my nimble Profit. Isah pots and all your's is a big one with lots of mass to accelerate. I an sending you the coordinates to my first stop, just in case.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Just get going, I will try to keep up.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I gave TheOther the signal to terminate.

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Warner reported. “We are spaceworthy captain. All boards are greem ,”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Three Four now sitting at OPS said. “The Swift Profit is moving.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Mr Rohmor follow the Swift Profit and keep accellerating just 5 percent slower than them.”

<p lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">To Three Four I said. “What kind of ship is that anyway?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Lt. Hi suspected it to be a custom refit of an Ongloran armed post ship but that is hardly possible as the Ongloran Federation was destroyed 2000 years before the Union was born.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">The being at the Science Console was a Leedei and that he was Ensign Fivcheer, other than that I had seen him several times during our weekly department meetings. His file mentioned that he had served with the Science Corps for five years before he decided to join the Fleet. I blinked his file up while I said. “Ensign Fivcheer any ideas about the other ship?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Material composition appears to be of multiple sources. Some Karthanian, but there are Togar metals used as well. Energy source is consistent with a Nogoll Arguwaid Matter anhiliation reactor. Much less efficient than compareable reactors from Togar or Karthanian manufacture, but able to process solid matter. For easy fuel handling and storage it appears it is converted to Mol Gas. Mass versus energy calculations and the type of the Nogoll version of ISAH pods. We think she can reach 500 klicks. We could read 178 life forms, while they were docked. Shield projector nodes point to modern Kermac Shimmer type shields.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“What about his offensive capabilites?” I directed my question to the female human Ensign manning Tactical. “Three Kermac FTL Line Cannons 1 Megawatt per pulse. From the power layout not energy independent. Still serious weapons to anyone not having Union Para or TransDim Shields. We also noticed 4 missile doors but we do not know what type.” For some strange reason the tactical officer seemed to try to hide in his seat.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“How far to his first stop?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">The human Ensign at the Navigation console, I knew came from the Kingdom of New Siam answered. “122 light years and with the anticipated translight speed of these engines of approximatley 4500 times light, about nine days, Ma'am.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Thank you Mr. Shinawatra. And I thought Tiny Tim freighters were slow.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">The Leedei said, “Captain, that ship is TL 7. Union average is TL 8 and the Tigershark is beyond that. There is an average of 10.000 years development between the two. Given the fact that over 90 percent of all known non Union civilizations are of TL 7 or less, this is quite fast in relation.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Mr. Fivcheer you sound just like Lt. Schwartz .”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“That, Captain is a great compliment, thank you.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">The Helmsman said “We could technically fly to Richter, have a cup of coffee and come back and he still be on his way to his first waypoint. ”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Well a cup of coffee sounds like a good idea. Mr. Three Four  you have the Conn. I am having breakfast.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I got up and stopped then I stepped next to the officer sitting behind tactical. “You are very dedicated to our pirate role, but why wearing a mask on the bridge?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Most of the bridge crew actually wore uniform, but she wore a leather mask that looked almost like one of mine. He turned to face me, Three Four  rushed to my side and said. “Ah, Captain that was my idea, after you said you come onto the bridge, you see this is Ensign Sobur 's first time on the bridge.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I forgot about my coffee and breakfast plans. The Ensign got up. She had a nice body and as she placed herself in attention, I could see fear in her eyes.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Lt. Three Four  would you care to explain why you found it neccesary to recommend her to wear a mask?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Ma'am we tried to keep Ensign Sobur as nuch out of your way as possible, but she is qualified for Tactical and Lt. Hi thought middle shift be a good one as you rarely...”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I interupted him. “Why in Loki's name would you want to...and that wasn't an explanation. Ensign take of that mask,”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">She did and revealed blue skin and long coppery metal red hair, she was Thauran. “I am sorry Captain. I had no other way of hiding my race.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Har-Hi had appeared on the bridge but he and everyone seemed to hold their breath.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">All became instantly clear to me. “Ensign Sobur, at ease. You are not in any kind of trouble.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I looked up. “SHIP put me on shipwide.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Ship wide is open,”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Here is your captain speaking. A situation on the bridge where a Thauran Ensign believed she had to hide from me because of her heritage. Let me be absoultely clear, I do not condone any from of predejuce aboard ny ship. That includes first and foremost myself. It seems I have caused the believe I hate Thaurans. I retrospect I must admit I did say and think very negatively about the Thaurans and I generalized and projected the experiences I had with individuals onto all Thaurans and forgetting the good ones. Now I was told that Officers never appologize, but I be damned if I can't appologize to my crew. So with this said, I Captain Erica Olafson put a formal complaint against Captain Erica Olafson onto record and into the Log on this date the 16th November of 5022 .”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">To the Ensign I said. “Will you accept my appologies, if any of my actions real or percieved made you feel not welcome aboard the Tigershark?”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">The Ensign looked completely overwhelmed. “Yes, Ma'am. I did not.. I mean I never thought .. Yes Ma'am I accept your appologies.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“What I said at the beginning of our mission still holds true. You all can come to me, my door is always open for everyone, and I mean everyone.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">To the Thauran I said. “Thank you Ensign. Now if you like, come join me for breakfast where you can tell me more about you and all that.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">She pointed at her station. “Ma'am I am still...”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">Har-Hi said, “If the Captain invites you for breakfast you go. I take care of the bridge posts.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Aye Sir.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I went to the door and Har-Hi gave me a long look. “I am guilty of the same, you know.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Let us take a lesson from that and take steps to prevent that in the future. For now take the Conn. and follow the Profit. I expect him to hail us soon with some kind of technical or medical emergency.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Aye Captain.” He said raising his devilish arched eyebrows and went to the command chair while I and the Thauran Ensign went to the Den.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">--””--

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">There was always someone in our Pirate Den. It had become the most popular recreation room of the ship. Even more than the actual R Deck facilites. It had become a second ,mess hall and if needed and with the dividing curtains raised there even was plenty of room for the entire crew to eat. Of course it also provided a challenge for the galley, as this was a Hangar and not meant for food service. While there were vent matics and drink dispensers on pretty much every deck. There weren't any down here, but that didn't stop my crew. Circuit had asked permission to make some changed and I knew he was working on ways to address the many logistical problems my spontaneous idea to have our meals in a hangar caused. Luckily my crew was still technically a skeleton crew, the 360 serving her instead of the 800 she was designed to have.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">As I entered our Pirate's Den, a Vantax standing next to the door started to clap and seconds later everyone applauded me. The Vantax I had seen only during my initial address said. “Captain, I am proud to serve you. This was a mighty fine thing you did. I doubt any other Captain would have ever admitted to something and appologized.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">I tried to remember his name, as he was in civilian attire, he did not have a name tag. Thankfully I received Narth 's thoughts. “This is Lt. Ziodo. Call him Dr. Ziodo, he much prefers academic titles over his rank. He is part of our science department and the resident Astro Biologist .”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“Dr. Ziodo, I appreciate the sentiment but this isn't neccesary. I will have to give orders that won't be liked and this perhaps raised expectations I can't always meet.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“You underestimate your crew, Captain. We are all Union Citizens before we started wearing uniforms and the commitment to duty and the understanding of doing ones part is part of our shared society for nearly 3000 years. “

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">“I must confess, Dr. Ziodo I find it suprising to find a Vantax among my crew, espeically considering the nature of our mission; and I don't say that in a negative way.” “Your

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.58cm;">