TECH CONFERENCE:: Polite Conversation

Posted on Wed May 13th, 2020 @ 11:29am by Jinx Jorasco & Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*)
Edited on on Wed May 13th, 2020 @ 11:31am

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Starbase 621- Grand Summit Chamber
Timeline: 2396
1210 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Ledeya was exhausted; she had not slept much, and had been up early for a tour of the base reconstructions before everyone arrived. It had been amazing to see what had been done since she had left three weeks ago, and Ledeya could not be prouder of Rosado leading the base. It was a momentous achievement of his, and it only solidified her recommendation that he get command of the base and promotion to captain in a few months.

She turned a little in her seat, looking around the summit chamber, and watched the little groups talking together. This was what it was all about, community and companionship. She looked up as a shadow crossed over her light and made her look up.

“Hello, Captain,” she greeted, only having observed him previously.

“Commodore Ehestri,” the massive mountain of an Orion man said. It was amazing the replicator could make a uniform to fit someone so large. He seemed to try and shrink a little so as not to loom over her. “You appeared like you could use a pick me up,” he said, his very large hand holding out a cup of raktajino to her. It seemed very tiny in his hand. “Could I get you something from the buffet?” he offered.

Ledeya looked at the raktajino and took it. "I did not think I needed it, but I will take the offered substance," she assured, sitting up a little straighter to sip on it. "I do not need anything from the buffet, but thank you, Captain. Please, join me." She indicated the seat next to her.

“Thank you,” Tan’ato said, pulling the seat out, sitting carefully so it wouldn’t collapse under his weight. “This is quite the event for a tech conference,” he said, looking over the spread of food and drinks. “I would have thought it would have been better to send my chief engineer, though.” Tan’ato did make his way up through Operations, so he wasn’t a slouch when it came to technology. His large size made fitting into jeffries tubes more difficult, and large hands made working with the smaller components challenging. “What about you?”

"You did not bring your ship?" she wondered, thinking of her crew who were having a ball with all the new tech and jobs that they could help the starbase crew with. "I am enjoying seeing the new tech that is being showcased. I was a doctor, so the medical side of things is always intriguing for me."

“The Nightingale was needed to deal with the Cardassian flu breakout out on Bajor,” Tan’ato said. “They didn’t need a non-physician like me, so they dropped me off on the way. I am getting daily briefings, and they aren’t far away.”

"They still need a captain, even if you are a non-physician," the woman pointed out softly. She was on an Explorer class when she would have been more suited for an Olympia class medical ship. Maybe they should swap, Ledeya thought to herself.

“I have a shuttle prepped if I need it,” Tan assured Ledeya. “I can be back within twelve hours if there is an emergency, and my XO is more than capable. It’s Bajor, so it’s relatively safe. We are mostly providing extra beds so the local system doesn’t get overwhelmed.”

"Just feels strange to me as a captain and a doctor," the woman mused thoughtfully, finding it odd that someone not a doctor was in charge of a medical ship. There had to be something about him that warranted it. It intrigued her.

Tan shrugged his broad shoulders. “Harrington and Saultis made it clear they wanted everyone here,” he said. “So I came. The Nightingale will come when things on Bajor are settled. I don’t imagine it will be too long.”

"If they arrive in the five days that we are here. Would I be able to get a tour?" the woman wondered. She would love to see what the ship had to offer.

“Of course,” Tan said. “I don’t imagine it will even take that long. Things were getting well in hand when I left. A couple of days, I would imagine.”

Ledeya nodded. Cardassian flu breakouts on Bajor were nothing new, they were a seasonal issue, but it must be worse this year for the ship to be requested. "Been a long time since I have been on that type of class," she mused.

“Fewer and fewer of them around anymore,” Tan’ato agreed. “Starfleet prefers multipurpose now that the war is over, and usually smaller ships, more cost effective.” He shrugged. “Or so says my man with inside information from fleet shipyards,” he said with a rumbling chuckle.

It made sense, especially after the loss of Utopia, that multi-purpose was the key to Starfleet. "It is the rationale behind it. We need a bit of jack of all trade ships," the woman agreed with him as an ensign refilled her glass without hesitation. She was going to be drunk if this carried on.

Tan’ato took another drink as well, a whiskey and soda, heavier on the soda than the whiskey. The massive Orion wasn’t exactly a teetotaller, but given the demon he wrestled with, he knew it wasn’t wise to become too uninhibited.

The pair of them were approached then by an attractive, petite blonde woman in a red crewman’s uniform. “Sir,” she interrupted quietly.

“Ah, my yeoman, Petty Officer Hayden Ahlgren,” Tan’ato introduced her to Ledeya. “This is Commodore Ledeya Ehestri.”

“Sir,” Hayden saluted to the commodore. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a regulation bun, revealing slightly pointed ears, obviously, some Vulcan somewhere in her ancestry, giving her a rather pixie look.

Tan conferred with Hayden for a moment before turning back to Ledeya. “You might get that tour a little quicker than expected, Commodore,” he said. “Turns out things went better on Bajor than we anticipated, and they should be docking here tomorrow. Thank you, Hayden. I won’t need you for tonight, so you can go off duty. Maybe make a guild run.”

Hayden blushed. “Captain,” she whispered with embarrassment.

Tan just chuckled as the young woman hurried off.

Ledeya just smiled patiently at the yeoman appeared out of nowhere behind her and indicated for the captain to deal with whatever was going on. It allowed her a moment to check her padd to see if there were any messages coming through for her; nothing that would require her, admittedly, which was good all around.

"That is positive," Ledeya said, noticing her security detail pretty much snuggled up in a chair with a cup of tea that was uncharacteristic of her. "I will see you over breakfast meeting about arranging a tour then. I should leave. My security is about to fall asleep on the job in a very un-her way."

“I look forward to breakfast then, Commodore,” Tan’ato rumbled.

OFF::

Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri
Commanding Officer
USS Cosmos / TG 72-B
(PNPC Gregnol)

Captain Tan’ato Tejera
Commanding Officer
USS Nightingale
(PNPC Jinx Jorasco)

Petty Officer 3rd Hayden Ahlgren
Captain’s Yeoman
USS Nightingale
(PNPC Jinx Jorasco)