S1-M7 The Danger of Secrets

[K-5]

[Bridge]

Zex sad a her station a bit longer.  The various stations buzzed.  It sounded like a small bee hive from Delta IV.

Somewhat relaxing, but the absence of people in the big room was a bit odd.  But then again the Deltan had been focused on her assigned tasks, instead of the people.

Finally she look around to see a lone figure at the Sec/Tac station.  So she got up from her station an approached the woman.  "Hello, I am Zex.  The new Science Officer" she said by way of greeting.

[Bridge]

K-5 took the woman's hand, in no rush to go speak with the captain. She smiled nervously. "Hello. I am K-5 Soong, Petty Officer Third Class, Security and Tactical." She shook the woman's- Zex's- Hand and then let go, standing awkwardly. Even after all her time on board the Shran, she still didn't do well with small talk. After a few minutes of shifting from foot to foot, she smiled and said, "I've been called for the inspection and I need to go see the Captain. I'll be back in a moment, if it is companionship you require?"

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[Captain's Ready Room]

James leaned into the front of his desk and could not help but give a slight smile before hearing T'Ra's response.  He was trying to play a small prank.

As he heard T'ra's statement James started laughing softly.   His laughter was closer to a giggle as he could not help but be amused by the response.  He expected most Vulcan's would flutter or be nervous, however, she just gave an excellent answer.
"Thank you, Commander, I thought it was common practice in most species to take a girl out to a walk in a forest full a Velociraptors.  Help keep the heart pumping" James mentioned sarcastically.  "That's probably why you are married and I'm not" James commented

James began exciting the ready room as he needed to change into his dress uniforms.  As they headed out he heard T'Ra's comment.
James then wondered "Strange, I thought it was weird to send a ship like the Shran for a simple inspection, when an outdated Miranda or Excelsior like the Challenger should be able to handle this.  " James commented

He continued walking into the bridge where he continued "Nothing else, this should be a walk in the park, have our teams do the inspection, approve it, have dinner thank them for their hospitality and we go our merry way.  All of us have submitted inspection reports in the past, is just a mundane part of Starfleet"  James commented

[Bridge]

As he entered the bridge he noticed Ardy was there already dressed in white.   Before departing "Excuse me, Commander, I shall see you shortly"

He looked at her and noticed she was wearing her White's which is unusual.  At a lot of formal events humans tend to like to wear dresses, but she was a representative of Starfleet and needed to show her uniform.  Dress White, was created for this situation.

"Lieutenant, do you mind walking with me to my quarters, I need to change into my own whites?"  James asked Ardy

As he began walking he started to explain  "I'm sorry to have you to ask this but I need you to prepare a report on the evacuation procedures, standard stuff make sure they have enough shuttles and pods for their population, make sure to inspect random pods  that they have enough life support and food to survive until help comes"

James then entered the turbolift and ordered it to bring him to his quarters.  As he continued the walked he kept explaining "I'm pretty certain they will pass...they always do but then we have the dinner in which we tell them they pass and thanks them for their hospitality.  Just remember we represent  Starfleet, but they should be hospitable and welcoming"

[In front of James Quarters]

As he finished the conversation he continued.  "Now, I need to go and change really quickly you are more than welcome to come in a have a drink while I change.  I don't know about you but I'll need one before they start kissing my ass and I have to hear them talk none stop about things, that I don't care about.  Hopefully, Commander Jones can keep me out of trouble while you guys do the inspection" James said

As he finished he entered his quarters and began heading into his room.  As he walked in the first thing he did was to remove his black gray shirt and tossed it on the floor.  Exposing his Red Undershirt.

[Bridge]

"Sure thing, James."  Ardyn said as they walked into the Turbolift. Nodding, she listened to him as he explained what she had to do.  Internally, she groaned. Paperwork. Not her favorite thing to do, but it had to be done. "Gotcha, boss."

The turbolift came up to the Captain's room and hissed open. "Y'know what? I'll definitely take you up on that drink, James. Heaven knows we're both going to need it today." She said, giving him a wry smirk as she made her way to the Captain's stash and got out a couple glasses and a nice vintage bottle. One of the perks of being good friends with James.  She knew the contents of his mini fridge way too well. Pouring a glass for herself and James as he was getting his white uniform on, Ardyn heard the whoosh of the door opening revealing Kay.
Ardyn froze in her tracks. From the outside, she realized that it probably looked really unprofessional. Sure, she had seen James without his shirt. Wasn't the first time, and certainly not the last, but to someone as new as Kay... she understood why she bolted out.

Looking at James, Ardy shrugged with a deadpan look. "Well. That was awkward ."

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

K-5 took the woman's hand, in no rush to go speak with the captain. She smiled nervously. "Hello. I am K-5 Soong, Petty Officer Third Class, Security and Tactical." She shook the woman's- Zex's- Hand and then let go, standing awkwardly. Even after all her time on board the Shran, she still didn't do well with small talk. After a few minutes of shifting from foot to foot, she smiled and said, "I've been called for the inspection and I need to go see the Captain. I'll be back in a moment, if it is companionship you require?"

[Bridge]

"It's nice to meet you, K-5" Zex said as she shook the woman's hand.  "I would be happy to meet up with you later.  I don't want to make you late for you inspection" Zex said as she noticed a woman coming from the Ready Room.

"I better make my way back to my station.  I will catch up with you later" the Deltan said.  She offered a smile before she left.

[James A. Hawke]

[James Quaters]

Seconds later tossing his uniform into the floor, James walked to the back of his quarters.  He took his red undershirt off and noticed that Ardy came into his quarters.  He left the quarters unlocked on purpose in case she wanted to come in and have a drink
He heard Ardy going into this mini fridge which had several bottles of vintages Earth drinks.  James wanted to have a drink of something before having to play a polite diplomat and mind numbing protocols of the visit.  If he had a choice he would rather be exploring the unknown.

James tried to find his dress uniform when he heard a beep in his computer.  He walked shirtless from the back of the room to the forward.  He looked at the computer monitor and noticed that there was a message from Ada.  It was probably a status report.

He stood shirtless in the main room and walked into his computer to read the message.  All of the sudden he noticed another person walk into his quarters.

[Captain's Quarters]

"Wha- I- Sorry! I'll come back in a few moments!" K-5 wasn't waiting around for a reply. Her words couldn't seem to form properly, only adding to this newest emotion's severity. She ran from the room and stopped outside the door, leaning against the wall beside it as the door closed. Her facial panels still hadn't cooled off. Why? What was this emotion? This one was new. She'd have to make inquiries later after her ordeal was either forgotten or forgiven.

James noticed that Kay walked into his quarters and looked at his surroundings he noticed his surroundings.  There was on the side Ardy next to his liquor cabinet with a couple of glasses and a drink and he was in the middle of changing.

James stood in the middle of the quarters in shock.

"Wait---it," James said

However, before he could finish his sentence he noticed Kay leaving his quarters.   Oddly enough she was not the first person to see him shirtless, however, there was something to be said for the awkward encounter.

Looking at James, Ardy shrugged with a deadpan look. "Well. That was awkward ."

James reacted by rolling his eyes at Ardy.  James commented, "What is it about me and being shirtless?"

All of the sudden a Holographic projection of Ada came into the middle of the room.

Ada responded "Captain, I suggest to for you to finish dressing up the ship has dropped out of warp into our destination"

James then responded "Thanks, Ada, I'll assemble the inspection team"

James then looked at Ardy and said "She sees me shirtless all the time when giving me ship status reports"

Ada continued "The Captain has an issue in keeping his shirt on"
James then went to grab a drink from his glass and then noticed there was a peep coming from his door.  He looked at Ardy and then continued "Maybe I should continue dressing"

James than without a shirt continued to open the door in the hallway.  He noticed that there was no one there.

All of the sudden he noticed a familiar looking creature coming into this quarter.  "Steve?"  James asked and he noticed the creature going directly to Ardy.

James continued to the back of the room "Y'know while we are at it, we should invite all of the Senior Staff for a meeting while I am changing"

Ada responded "That can be arranged, Captain"

James commented "I was being sarcastic"

James headed to the back of the room and continued changing.  As he finished he looked in the mirror making sure his dress whites were in tune for a ceremonial inspection.

As he walked back he began.

Hawke, to away team.  Meet me in Transporter Room 1   James said

He went to his lounge area and said "C'mon you need to leave Steve here, let's go get this show on the road"

[Transporer Room 1]

James entered Transporter Room one.  He was the first to arrive he still wondered how he was going to approach the subject to K-5.  He was not sure, how to break it to her.

[K-5]

[Bridge]

"It's nice to meet you, K-5" Zex said as she shook the woman's hand.  "I would be happy to meet up with you later.  I don't want to make you late for you inspection" Zex said as she noticed a woman coming from the Ready Room.

"I better make my way back to my station.  I will catch up with you later" the Deltan said.  She offered a smile before she left.

[Bridge]

K-5 smiled and nodded in reply, thankful for the understanding crewmate. She felt her com-badge buzz.

Hawke, to away team.  Meet me in Transporter Room 1

K-5 sucked in a breath and felt the heat return to her facial panels. She sighed and grabbed only a few things; he emergency repair kit, which had everything she needed to be able to do repairs on a few things if the need arose. With that, she left for Transporter Room 1.

[Transporter Room 1]

As she stepped into the room, she noticed Captain Hawke standing in the room. Alone. She was the second one. The heat in her facial panels increased and after a short system scan, she found nothing wrong. But something is very wrong...

She tried to think of a way to explain herself- she found none. She'd walked in on the Captain and a crew mate- and he had been shirtless. She hadn't seen Ardyn holding two glasses and a bottle of alcohol, thank god, but if she had, the situation would have been much worse.

She couldn't think of anything to say, so she simply stood. In the room. Next to the Captain. Waiting. She cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of this unshakable feeling.

[T'Ra Jones]

[James Quaters]
Hawke, to away team.  Meet me in Transporter Room 1   James said

He went to his lounge area and said "C'mon you need to leave Steve here, let's go get this show on the road"

[Transporter Room 1]

James entered Transporter Room one.  He was the first to arrive he still wondered how he was going to approach the subject to K-5.  He was not sure, how to break it to her.

[Transporter Room 1]

T'Ra walked into the transporter room to find their commanding officer already present and waiting, fidgeting in his dress uniform. "White doesn't seem to be your colour, Captain," she mused, approaching from behind. "It's too... clean." It was a neutral colour, considered by many to represent peace and diplomacy, attributes that didn't exactly conform to Hawke's character. He struck her as much more of a space cowboy than an ambassador.

K-5 was present as well, standing silently beside the captain. T'Ra was pleased by the android's punctuality, but something seemed off about her posture, but she couldn't be sure of what. She hadn't spent enough time around the android to know what was normal for that particular model, so she simply greeted the security crewman, offering a typical Vulcan "Na'shaya."

[William Waring]

[Captain's Ready Room][Alpha Shift]

James saw a replicated soda appear in the replicator.  The soda was dark brown and it contained ice it was served in a cold glass.  James picked up the soda and took a sip of the sweet beverage.  It tasted sweet similar to the original Coca-Cola back at Earth.  As he took a sip he tried to remember the last time he had been to his home planet.   It has been a while.

Hawke walked to his desk and gently sit down the chair.  He picked up Padd with the Starfleet daily report.  In the report, he noticed his ship was given surprisingly a low-level assignment.
As he finished reading the padd,  James gently placed it down his desk.  Truthfully, most Starfleet Captain hated routine assignment such as the one given.   He raised one of his eye brows and figured this was going to be one of those boring missions.

James stood from his desk and began issuing orders.

This is Hawke to Bridge, please set a course to Research Outpost, Beta 12, Maximum Warp

Hawke to Ser and Ardy, please review Starfleet Evacuation Protocols and change into White Dress Uniforms, Hawke Out

Hawke to K-5 and Crewman Kimball, please review Starfleet Standards regarding civilians weapons capabilities, you are also ordered to wear white uniforms

Hawke to Warring and HÁƒ¤llstrom, can you both select a diplomatic gift to be given to the leader of the Research Outpost?  As for the content of the gift, I will leave that to your discretion. Also when we arrive there to make sure to give them any spare parts or items at our disposal

Hawke to Doctor Trea, are you feeling up to evening of drinking and dining with strangers?

Hawke to Engineering, once we drop out of warp, we won't be going anywhere for the evening, we will be doing a routine inspection.  You can either invest the time on a project or I can give time off, the choice is yours

Hawke to Commander Jones, do you mind reporting to my ready room?

[COO Office]

Will heard the call and lightly threw his PADD onto the desk. He had been reading the previous shift reports but now it seemed he had to pick out a gift.

He let out a sigh and got up to move to the replicator. After a quick moment of thought he replicated something he knew they would like.

Before departing, Will pulled up a spare supply manifest and downloaded it on a PADD.

[James Quaters]

Seconds later tossing his uniform into the floor, James walked to the back of his quarters.  He took his red undershirt off and noticed that Ardy came into his quarters.  He left the quarters unlocked on purpose in case she wanted to come in and have a drink
He heard Ardy going into this mini fridge which had several bottles of vintages Earth drinks.  James wanted to have a drink of something before having to play a polite diplomat and mind numbing protocols of the visit.  If he had a choice he would rather be exploring the unknown.

James tried to find his dress uniform when he heard a beep in his computer.  He walked shirtless from the back of the room to the forward.  He looked at the computer monitor and noticed that there was a message from Ada.  It was probably a status report.

He stood shirtless in the main room and walked into his computer to read the message.  All of the sudden he noticed another person walk into his quarters.

James noticed that Kay walked into his quarters and looked at his surroundings he noticed his surroundings.  There was on the side Ardy next to his liquor cabinet with a couple of glasses and a drink and he was in the middle of changing.

James stood in the middle of the quarters in shock.

"Wait---it," James said

However, before he could finish his sentence he noticed Kay leaving his quarters.   Oddly enough she was not the first person to see him shirtless, however, there was something to be said for the awkward encounter.

James reacted by rolling his eyes at Ardy.  James commented, "What is it about me and being shirtless?"

All of the sudden a Holographic projection of Ada came into the middle of the room.

Ada responded "Captain, I suggest to for you to finish dressing up the ship has dropped out of warp into our destination"

James then responded "Thanks, Ada, I'll assemble the inspection team"

James then looked at Ardy and said "She sees me shirtless all the time when giving me ship status reports"

Ada continued "The Captain has an issue in keeping his shirt on"
James then went to grab a drink from his glass and then noticed there was a peep coming from his door.  He looked at Ardy and then continued "Maybe I should continue dressing"

James than without a shirt continued to open the door in the hallway.  He noticed that there was no one there.

All of the sudden he noticed a familiar looking creature coming into this quarter.  "Steve?"  James asked and he noticed the creature going directly to Ardy.

James continued to the back of the room "Y'know while we are at it, we should invite all of the Senior Staff for a meeting while I am changing"

Ada responded "That can be arranged, Captain"

James commented "I was being sarcastic"

James headed to the back of the room and continued changing.  As he finished he looked in the mirror making sure his dress whites were in tune for a ceremonial inspection.

As he walked back he began.

Hawke, to away team.  Meet me in Transporter Room 1   James said

He went to his lounge area and said "C'mon you need to leave Steve here, let's go get this show on the road"

[Transporer Room 1]

James entered Transporter Room one.  He was the first to arrive he still wondered how he was going to approach the subject to K-5.  He was not sure, how to break it to her.

[Transporter Room One]
Will entered and spotted the Captain "Hey Skip" he said showing James a bottle "ChÁƒ¢teau Picard, 2260. A personal favorite" he said as he produced the PADD "And the supply manifest for their perusal."

Deck 32 - Cargo Bay

Miriam looked over to one of the other operations officers dotted around the bay. The department had decided to sort out the stores, put some parts into the right place so it was more organised. Miriam was one of the many people helping out with it all. She looked over to a person who had a random box of parts and Miriam pointed him in the right direction.

Her combadge chirped as he was sorting through everything, it said to come up with a gift for the leader of the outpost. Miriam put the box down and took a moment to think about what they could give to them. She thought about several things, a traditional earth gift or something else. Maybe related to where the leader was from, she thought.

Miriam tapped her combadge and opened a channel to the captain. =^="HÁƒ¤llstrom to Hawke, acknowledged captain."=^= She tapped it once again and this time opened a channel to Will. =^="HÁƒ¤llstrom to Waring, where are you, commander?"=^= The channel closed and Miriam carried on working as she awaited a reply.

=A= I am in Transporter Room One. I assume the Cargo Bay is being whipped into shape? =A=

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[James Quaters]

Seconds later tossing his uniform into the floor, James walked to the back of his quarters.  He took his red undershirt off and noticed that Ardy came into his quarters.  He left the quarters unlocked on purpose in case she wanted to come in and have a drink
He heard Ardy going into this mini fridge which had several bottles of vintages Earth drinks.  James wanted to have a drink of something before having to play a polite diplomat and mind numbing protocols of the visit.  If he had a choice he would rather be exploring the unknown.

James tried to find his dress uniform when he heard a beep in his computer.  He walked shirtless from the back of the room to the forward.  He looked at the computer monitor and noticed that there was a message from Ada.  It was probably a status report.

He stood shirtless in the main room and walked into his computer to read the message.  All of the sudden he noticed another person walk into his quarters.

James noticed that Kay walked into his quarters and looked at his surroundings he noticed his surroundings.  There was on the side Ardy next to his liquor cabinet with a couple of glasses and a drink and he was in the middle of changing.

James stood in the middle of the quarters in shock.

"Wait---it," James said

However, before he could finish his sentence he noticed Kay leaving his quarters.   Oddly enough she was not the first person to see him shirtless, however, there was something to be said for the awkward encounter.

James reacted by rolling his eyes at Ardy.  James commented, "What is it about me and being shirtless?"

All of the sudden a Holographic projection of Ada came into the middle of the room.

Ada responded "Captain, I suggest to for you to finish dressing up the ship has dropped out of warp into our destination"

James then responded "Thanks, Ada, I'll assemble the inspection team"

James then looked at Ardy and said "She sees me shirtless all the time when giving me ship status reports"

Ada continued "The Captain has an issue in keeping his shirt on"
James then went to grab a drink from his glass and then noticed there was a peep coming from his door.  He looked at Ardy and then continued "Maybe I should continue dressing"

James than without a shirt continued to open the door in the hallway.  He noticed that there was no one there.

All of the sudden he noticed a familiar looking creature coming into this quarter.  "Steve?"  James asked and he noticed the creature going directly to Ardy.

James continued to the back of the room "Y'know while we are at it, we should invite all of the Senior Staff for a meeting while I am changing"

Ada responded "That can be arranged, Captain"

James commented "I was being sarcastic"

James headed to the back of the room and continued changing.  As he finished he looked in the mirror making sure his dress whites were in tune for a ceremonial inspection.

As he walked back he began.

Hawke, to away team.  Meet me in Transporter Room 1   James said

He went to his lounge area and said "C'mon you need to leave Steve here, let's go get this show on the road"

[Transporer Room 1]

James entered Transporter Room one.  He was the first to arrive he still wondered how he was going to approach the subject to K-5.  He was not sure, how to break it to her.

[James's room .]

Ardyn playfully nudged James and took a good drink as Ada mentioned his problems with keeping his shirts. "I've tended to notice the same thing, Ada." She laughed. Hearing the door open once again , she heard the unmistakable squeaking of Steve still following her around. Turning around, somewhat in surprise , she picked up the fluffy baby raptor. "Come here Buster. Can't have you running away on me." Tossing James's shirt over to him, she grinned a playful wry grin. "Get your shirt on, Cap. Those inspections aren't going away any time soon , and I think the station might think we're already crazier than we are if you show up half dressed ."

Making her way through the bridge, raptor under arm , she spotted Caelene walking onto the bridge.  Approaching the Trill Engineer, she asked. "Hey, Caelene. Could you keep an eye on Steve for me while I  suffer through all the paperwork and formalities?

[Fala Awen]

[En Route to Bridge]

Just as Caelene had gotten settled into her routine for the day, she received word from Ada that James had requested that she take command while the away team was gone. It made sense - she was one of the few senior officers who wasn't going to the station. Still, she would have been more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of Engineering. Caelene had given a few instructions before leaving and was now nearly to the bridge.

[Bridge]

A bit nervous, Caelene smoothed the front of her uniform just before the turbolift doors opened. Most of the bridge crew seemed engrossed in what they were doing already, which the Trill was thankful for. It meant that their eyes weren't on her. A man in red was currently sitting in the command chair, but she didn't say anything just yet. First she wanted to calm herself a little, so she stepped towards the Engineering bridge station.

Making her way through the bridge, raptor under arm , she spotted Caelene walking onto the bridge.  Approaching the Trill Engineer, she asked. "Hey, Caelene. Could you keep an eye on Steve for me while I  suffer through all the paperwork and formalities?

Glancing over at Ardyn and Steve, Caelene hesitated slightly as she took in what the Flight Control Officer had requested. "Ardy, hello. Sure, I can take Steve. The Captain just asked me to temporarily take command while the away team takes care of their mission, so I should be here, barring anything out of the usual."

Of course, out of the usual seemed to be normal around the Shran, but still. Caelene reached for Steve, petting him before removing him from Ardy's arms. She took hold of the leash, then let him hop out of her arms and onto the floor. "Good luck; we'll see you later on," the Trill said, offering an encouraging smile.

Caelene moved over to the Engineering console, Steve hopping along beside her, and entered in her authorization. Everything appeared fine at the moment, but ever since the holodeck issue during their team-building, she wasn't as certain. In theory, the incident had been isolated to the holodeck systems, but until she checked things out more thoroughly, she couldn't be sure.

Locking down the engineering station again, Caelene knelt down to look at Steve. "Well, I can't put it off any longer. Time to face the center chair. Please behave yourself Steve...Ardy'll be back before you know it and we don't need any trouble in the meantime," she said quietly. He squeaked in response and followed her over to the center of the bridge.

Drumming up as much confidence as she could, the Trill looked at the Ensign in red seated in the command chair. "Ensign, you are relieved. Captain Hawke has asked that I take command while he and Commander Jones are away. Please head back to your station."

The young man nodded and quickly stood before practically scurrying back to the station he had been assigned to.

After taking a deep breath, Caelene turned and sat down. She glanced over as Steve moved closer, and then hopped up into one of the chairs next to her. Apparently for the time being he was content to keep an eye on things from there. Caelene settled back into the seat, then let her eyes slowly wander over the enormous bridge.

Her heart raced, but she did her best to appear calm. After all, they were at the station - it wasn't as if they would be attacked or have some crisis come up. If that were the case, James surely wouldn't have left her in charge. Caelene tapped at the controls connected to the chair and glanced through the information to help pass the time. She itched to walk around the bridge, but she'd just sat down. So far, so good.

[K-5]

[Teleporter Room 1]

K-5 closed her eyes momentarily and sucked in a calming breath. Her nerves quieted down, but the heat in her Facial panels just wouldn't leave. She waited silently as others who were on the away team  shuffled into the room, and someone gave the captain a bottle of very fancy alcohol and a padd and left.

She'd never really understood the whole alcohol thing.

She waited patiently, still- what was it called again?- blushing like crazy, and needing to do something with her hands. She only hoped this feeling was one that could be easily explained. She was going to ask someone what this feeling was the first chance she got.

[James A. Hawke]

[Transporter Room 1]

James stood in the room waiting for the rest of the team to show up.  He began doing a mental checklist of the duties and protocols.  He first needed to greet the Station Civilian Leader and thank them, then the inspection would take place.  Once the inspection is done, thank them for their hospitality and move on.
As James focused he noticed K-5 walking into the Transporter Room.  He looked at Kay and wanted to say something.  James stopped for a second and attempted to clear the air of what happened "Excuse me...."  James tried to talk all of the sudden his attention arrived at the second person arriving in the transporter.

James stopped the attempt of talking to K-5 as he hoped there would be a more private time to talk.  He was still slightly embarrassed about the situation, especially how it might have looked.   He nods as a gesture of greeting the first officer.

"White doesn't seem to be your color, Captain," she mused, approaching from behind. "It's too... clean."

James gave a small smile and responded "Yeah, I hate wearing these uniforms, the necks are too stiff.  I can't believe I have been ordered to do an inspection.  I was just half tempted not skip the inspection and give them a certification"

James noticed that his words were suggesting that he was willing to lie to get out of a boring duty.  "I said half tempted"

As he waited for the rest of the away team James then wondered "I wonder what did Ops picked to give them?"

Almost as he was summoning the individual he noticed his long time friend, Will come into the Transporter room.  He was carrying a bottle of wine.  From the looks of the bottle, it appeared to be an old Earth Red Wine.

"Hey Skip," he said showing James a bottle "ChÁƒ¢teau Picard, 2260. A personal favorite" he said as he produced the PADD "And the supply manifest for their perusal."

James then accepted the bottle and Paddy.  He then turned around and gave the PADD to T'Ra.  He then responded to Will "Thanks...it's a fine year and vintage.  I do hope they enjoy it.  Also, I will make sure that they get the supply manifest in the event that they need some items"  As he finished he gently tapped Will in the shoulder.

James waited for the rest of the away team and continued.

"Alright, now that everyone's here let's go over the Agenda.   Ser and Ardy you are both going to be inspecting shuttles and escape pod, make sure they are in proper working order and they have the proper capacity of the Station."  James said as he looks at his flight crew.

He then turned around and continued "Petty Officer Kay, you are to inspect the shields of the Station.   Make sure they conform to Federation Standards and then head into their armory and make a visual check of their weapons and security protocols.  Should be simple"  James said as he looked at Kay.  He noticed that her cheeks were slightly red.

James then continued "Once both of your inspections are done, you are to write your recommendations on a Padd with any recommendations for improvement.  Ada informed me that they passed their last report last year with flying colors, so with any luck, there should not be any recommendations"  James explained

"Once, the reports are completed you are to hand them to me for review.   There will be a formal event tonight at dinner and a dance.  I am authorizing you all to have fun within reason.  Feel free to eat, drink and dance but don't do anything too humiliating"  James said with a smile.  He did not have an issue with the crew allowed to have fun.

James then turned to T'Ra and said "T'Ra you will be with me, getting a tour of the damn place.  Unlike me, you might have an intelligent question to have"  James said

James then looked at the away team and asked "Any questions? "

As he waited he nodded for a second to see if they were any questions.

He then walked up to the Transporter and said "Energize"  James vision turned slowly white as he was being transported to another place.

[Station's Transporter Room]

James vision slowly turned from white to seeing a Standard Station transporter padd.  In front of him, there was a group of individuals with a female in the middle.   James assumed that the person in the middle was the leader.
She began speaking.

"Greeting and welcome to our station, my name is Carol Higgins and I am the lead researcher of this Station.  I have a distinct honor of welcoming you and your crew to our humble station.   I have instructed my staff to provide you with all access to both our shields, weapons, shuttles and escape pods"  The lady said with a slight nod

James then spoke "Ms. Higgins, on behalf of Starfleet and the crew of the U.S.S. Shran we cordially accept your invitation for an inspection and gladly accept.  Let me introduce my crew for a second.  First, I need to introduce Petty Officer Kay, she will be conducting an inspection of your shields and weapons.  Second, I will introduce Lieutenant  Jaeger and Luitenant Conley they will be inspecting your shuttles and escape pods.  Third, let me introduce you to my First Officer Commander Jones and lastly, I am James Hawke Captain of the Shran"

James then walked in front Higgins and handed her the bottle of wine "Please accept this gift as a symbol of friendship and our appreciation of your hospitality"  James said

He then looked at T'Ra and continued "My first officer also has a Padd please let us know if there is any way my ship can assist you"

Higgins looked at James and accepted the gift.  She smiled and said "I accept the gift and I offer you one in return.  She handed James a box"

James opened the Box and noticed there was a small compass in the box she then continued "This gift, is a compass that will always point into our Station, if you ever need friends our station will aid you"  Higgins said

After the initial conversation, James looked at the rest of the away team to see how they were reacting.

Higgins then smiled and tried to grab James arm and said "Follow me, Captain, I believe a tour is in order.  On a jovial tone, I'm flattered with the wine, most men offer me a bottle after they meet me.  You will find I am not a stuck up scientist like other people in the station"  She began escorting the Captain into a hallway.

[Kirok]

[En Route to Bridge]

Just as Caelene had gotten settled into her routine for the day, she received word from Ada that James had requested that she take command while the away team was gone. It made sense - she was one of the few senior officers who wasn't going to the station. Still, she would have been more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of Engineering. Caelene had given a few instructions before leaving and was now nearly to the bridge.

[Bridge]

A bit nervous, Caelene smoothed the front of her uniform just before the turbolift doors opened. Most of the bridge crew seemed engrossed in what they were doing already, which the Trill was thankful for. It meant that their eyes weren't on her. A man in red was currently sitting in the command chair, but she didn't say anything just yet. First she wanted to calm herself a little, so she stepped towards the Engineering bridge station.

Glancing over at Ardyn and Steve, Caelene hesitated slightly as she took in what the Flight Control Officer had requested. "Ardy, hello. Sure, I can take Steve. The Captain just asked me to temporarily take command while the away team takes care of their mission, so I should be here, barring anything out of the usual."

Of course, out of the usual seemed to be normal around the Shran, but still. Caelene reached for Steve, petting him before removing him from Ardy's arms. She took hold of the leash, then let him hop out of her arms and onto the floor. "Good luck; we'll see you later on," the Trill said, offering an encouraging smile.

Caelene moved over to the Engineering console, Steve hopping along beside her, and entered in her authorization. Everything appeared fine at the moment, but ever since the holodeck issue during their team-building, she wasn't as certain. In theory, the incident had been isolated to the holodeck systems, but until she checked things out more thoroughly, she couldn't be sure.

Locking down the engineering station again, Caelene knelt down to look at Steve. "Well, I can't put it off any longer. Time to face the center chair. Please behave yourself Steve...Ardy'll be back before you know it and we don't need any trouble in the meantime," she said quietly. He squeaked in response and followed her over to the center of the bridge.

Drumming up as much confidence as she could, the Trill looked at the Ensign in red seated in the command chair. "Ensign, you are relieved. Captain Hawke has asked that I take command while he and Commander Jones are away. Please head back to your station."

The young man nodded and quickly stood before practically scurrying back to the station he had been assigned to.

After taking a deep breath, Caelene turned and sat down. She glanced over as Steve moved closer, and then hopped up into one of the chairs next to her. Apparently for the time being he was content to keep an eye on things from there. Caelene settled back into the seat, then let her eyes slowly wander over the enormous bridge.

Her heart raced, but she did her best to appear calm. After all, they were at the station - it wasn't as if they would be attacked or have some crisis come up. If that were the case, James surely wouldn't have left her in charge. Caelene tapped at the controls connected to the chair and glanced through the information to help pass the time. She itched to walk around the bridge, but she'd just sat down. So far, so good.

[Bridge]

As several were leaving to join the Away Team, Zex sat at her station.  She noticed one woman enter the large room.  The woman apparently in charge.

"Ma'me.  Do you have any orders for me?  Science diagnostics have all come back in the normal range" the Deltan said.

[K-5]

[Transporter Room 1]

He then turned around and continued "Petty Officer Kay, you are to inspect the shields of the Station.   Make sure they conform to Federation Standards and then head into their armory and make a visual check of their weapons and security protocols.  Should be simple"  James said as he looked at Kay.  He noticed that her cheeks were slightly red.

James then continued "Once both of your inspections are done, you are to write your recommendations on a Padd with any recommendations for improvement.  Ada informed me that they passed their last report last year with flying colors, so with any luck, there should not be any recommendations"  James explained

"Once, the reports are completed you are to hand them to me for review.   There will be a formal event tonight at dinner and a dance.  I am authorizing you all to have fun within reason.  Feel free to eat, drink and dance but don't do anything too humiliating"  James said with a smile.  He did not have an issue with the crew allowed to have fun.

[Transporter Room 1]

K-5 nodded, staring right into the captain's eyes, cheeks still hot. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make the overheating in her facial panels stop. She'd done everything while they'd waited, a soft system update, a soft restart, even a system diagnostic. nothing worked. So she opted to ignore it. That didn't really work either.

[Station Transporter Room]

Once they'd dispensed with pleasantries and Commander T'Ra and Captain Hawke had left to tour the station, a man with brown curly hair and a dressy uniform stepped forward and held out his hand for her to shake. Others, K-5 noticed did this with others. She took his hand and smiled warmly, her cheeks finally loosing their heat.

"Hi, my name's Takur(NPC), I'm supposed to show you the shield and weapons rooms, correct?" He smiled and froze, still holding her hand. He was Barkonian, his patterns Showed that much. They looked like an 'x' with hooks on the bottom. K-5 nodded in reply.

"Yes, I think that's right. I am K-5 Soo-"

"K-5 Soong Android. I've heard about you guys. You're the same species of the man that discovered our species." K-5's mind exploded with awe. This was correct, her data banks confirmed. How funny, the same man that was helping her was the same species that had been found by one of her oldest brothers. She smiled.

"That's correct, Takur (NPC). What is it humans call this? A coincidence?" She laughed. This was... what was the term? Cool?

"I think so. I'm new here, so I still don't know about the whole term thing yet either. C'mon, let's get to the shield room before we get left behind!" He grabbed K-5's hand and took off, not quite jogging, but close enough to it that when they arrived, K-5 was almost panting for breath. She straightened herself out and brushed herself off, then noticed they stood in front of a door.

Takur (NPC) grinned and opened it, and when she stepped inside, she felt a tinge of something new in the back of her mind. Was this a new emotion? No... It felt... Intelligent. Like it had its own mind, like it wasn't part of K-5's systems. She brushed it off and smiled at Takur (NPC).

[Shield Room]

K-5 looked around the room and saw a few generators, much like what she would expect to see in the Shran's engineering room, and a few consoles. Besides that, the room was empty. She had Takur pull up the station's floor plan and went to a different console. She checked the code and the parameters, and everything was within the Fleet's regulations, so she closed the program and tested the shield's capabilities. As she tested density, Takur (NPC) brought her a Padd with the station's floor plans on it. She took a glance at it and kept working on the density and severity of the shield depth.

As she did so, the feeling at the back of her mind grew more prominent, and she thought she heard someone calling her name. She looked around but found no one but Takur (NPC) in the room and frowned. Takur gave her a funny look.

"You okay?" He asked, chuckling. K-5 snapped out of it and did a soft update.

"Yes, fine. Looks like this is good to go. I need to check one more thing before we move on to weapons. Why don't you go and open that room up for me and make sure everything looks good on your end before I go check it?" There was nothing else she needed to check, but something felt off.

"Sure, No problem. Maybe after that I can give you a tour before the dinner, yeah?" His smile was infectious.

"I think that is a great idea, thank you!" K-5 smiled back, then tried to look busy on the console. Once Takur was gone, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling at the back of her mind.

[T'Ra Jones]

[Transporter Room 1]

James gave a small smile and responded "Yeah, I hate wearing these uniforms, the necks are too stiff.  I can't believe I have been ordered to do an inspection.  I was just half tempted not skip the inspection and give them a certification"

James noticed that his words were suggesting that he was willing to lie to get out of a boring duty.  "I said half tempted"

James then accepted the bottle and Padd.  He then turned around and gave the PADD to T'Ra.  He then responded to Will "Thanks...it's a fine year and vintage.  I do hope they enjoy it.  Also, I will make sure that they get the supply manifest in the event that they need some items"  As he finished he gently tapped Will in the shoulder.
James then turned to T'Ra and said "T'Ra you will be with me, getting a tour of the damn place.  Unlike me, you might have an intelligent question to have"  James said

James then looked at the away team and asked "Any questions? "

As he waited he nodded for a second to see if they were any questions.

He then walked up to the Transporter and said "Energize"  James vision turned slowly white as he was being transported to another place.

[Transporter Room 1]

T'Ra simply arched a brow at the captain's remark, not electing to actually reply. As much as Hawke loved to joke and have fun, he did not let that get in the way of doing his job. She accepted the padd, knowing that he would no doubt be more comfortable holding the bottle of wine. "If you say so, sir," she replied, adding in jest, "I'm sure that you'll keep their attention so focussed on you that I'll be able concentrate enough to potentially pose such a question."

[Station's Transporter Room]

James vision slowly turned from white to seeing a Standard Station transporter padd.  In front of him, there was a group of individuals with a female in the middle.   James assumed that the person in the middle was the leader. She began speaking.

"Greeting and welcome to our station, my name is Carol Higgins and I am the lead researcher of this Station.  I have a distinct honor of welcoming you and your crew to our humble station.   I have instructed my staff to provide you with all access to both our shields, weapons, shuttles and escape pods"  The lady said with a slight nod

James then spoke "Ms. Higgins, on behalf of Starfleet and the crew of the U.S.S. Shran we cordially accept your invitation for an inspection and gladly accept.  Let me introduce my crew for a second.  First, I need to introduce Petty Officer Kay, she will be conducting an inspection of your shields and weapons.  Second, I will introduce Lieutenant  Jaeger and Luitenant Conley they will be inspecting your shuttles and escape pods.  Third, let me introduce you to my First Officer Commander Jones and lastly, I am James Hawke, Captain of the Shran"

James then walked in front Higgins and handed her the bottle of wine "Please accept this gift as a symbol of friendship and our appreciation of your hospitality"  James said. He then looked at T'Ra and continued "My first officer also has a Padd please let us know if there is any way my ship can assist you"

Higgins looked at James and accepted the gift.  She smiled and said "I accept the gift and I offer you one in return.  She handed James a box"

James opened the Box and noticed there was a small compass in the box she then continued "This gift, is a compass that will always point into our Station, if you ever need friends our station will aid you"  Higgins said. After the initial conversation, James looked at the rest of the away team to see how they were reacting.

Higgins then smiled and tried to grab James arm and said "Follow me, Captain, I believe a tour is in order.  On a jovial tone, I'm flattered with the wine, most men offer me a bottle after they meet me.  You will find I am not a stuck up scientist like other people in the station"  She began escorting the Captain into a hallway.

[Civilian Outpost Beta 12 - Transporter Room]

The away team materialized onto a transporter padd into an atmosphere that seemed to be bristling with an excitable energy. T'Ra wondered if it was this that was making her skin tingle, or perhaps just lingering effects of the transportation process. But this didn't explain the cramping pains she felt within her abdomen, though hopefully that was just stress. Despite this, T'Ra kept her face neutral as she observed the party of scientists who had come to greet them.

Something about the woman at the front stood out to T'Ra, and it wasn't the little black dress that she wore in complete contrast to the white dress uniforms of the away team. It was more in the way Carol Higgins beamed at them all, eager to welcome them to the Á¢â,¬Ëœ'humble station''. A perfect smile, an abundance of energy. T'Ra had found it better not to trust those who were overly cheery, like they were trying to hide something by distracting everyone with their pretty little teeth.

T'Ra furrowed her brows slightly at the gift the captain received. It felt like just another bit of pomp and circumstance distracting them from the true purpose of their visit, which was beginning to feel more like a ceremony than an inspection. In any case, a compass felt like an odd gift to give. "Friendship is always very much appreciated," she remarked, "but I am much more interested to know what sort of research is carried out here."

[James A. Hawke]

[Civilian Outpost Beta 12 - Hallway]

Higgins while holding the Captain's arm continued walking and commented "Captain Hawke, I expected Starfleet Captain such as yourself to be a little bit older or Balder.  I'm pleasantly surprised, you must be quite accomplished to have reached your position for someone so young"

James smiled back and responded "Thank you, if I may say so, you look really young and accomplished to be in your position"  James continued smiling and they walked together.

"Friendship is always very much appreciated," she remarked, "but I am much more interested to know what sort of research is carried out here."

Higgins continued walking and then looked at Commander Jones and said "Of Course Commander, I understand you Vulcan are always straight to business and I do appreciate that"

Higgins then turned around and still kept holding Hawke's arm "If you follow, Outpost Beta 12 is one of the main civilian outposts in the Federation.  We currently have the best and brightest minds in computer software and codes working for us.   In short, most of LCAR's updates, computer analysis originate in this lab."  Higgins continue

She then continues looking at Jones "We also do a couple of fun projects like holodeck improvements. Food improvements, speaking of which"  Higgins stopped.  She turned around and looked Hawke directly in the eyes

"I understand that one of your crew members is an Android is that correct?" Higgins asked.  At the same time, she held both of his hands.  Her face was inquisitive

James then responded, "it's truly one of my crew members is an Android".  James figured that she already knew the answer to the question.

"Can I meet her?  I would love to run a diagnostic and figure out how real they are"  Higgins asked.  She leaned closer to Hawke.

"Umm...I don't think so, she is a member of my crew and I don't subject them to any unnecessary test or experimentation, even if she is an Android, I treat her like a sentient being.  So I'm afraid I can't force her to do anything against her  will"  James said standing his ground

Higgins then turned around half James arm again and leaned her head on his shoulder.  "I guess meeting her would have to do"

She then looked at T'Ra almost as an afterthought and continued "I thought you might enjoy our main Lab, as you can see is one of the most Powerful Computers in the Federation.  Every day we come here and update its code making it quicker than any other computer.  The analysis portion of your Federation ships and advanced holograms were born from this Computer"  Higgins explained as she pointed the room filled with scientists looking at a big square block.  James figured that it was the main computer.