Prologue -- Episode 1

"Ms. Clarke, you have the bridge. Please welcome any new officers that report on duty for me. Lieutenant Seetar, you'll have the Delta watch tonight. As for the rest of you, please prepare for tomorrow's meeting. Brief your staff's officers and such, and then get some rest. We'll be out of drydock soon."

Sarah watched as the Commanding Officer left the bridge leaving her alone on it. She looked around for a moment soon the Acting Chief of Security approached her.

“Commander Clarke, requesting permission to leave the bridge. I would like to conduct my inspection of the security offices, the brig and the weapon caches stations throughout the ship.”

"Granted."

She responded and now she truly was alone on the bridge her thoughts once more returned to the Providence she wasn't exactly alone in her mind because somewhere the Great Prophets and her father was with her watching her. She shivered with the thought and stood up pacing the bridge as a team of engineers entered the bridge and began to complete any last minute repairs they would be leaving soon. Command was a little different then engineering down there she could hide away in her office. Command meant that she had more responsibilities to not only the Captain of the ship, but also the entire crew.

This ship reminded her all too much of the Providence and her father's soul. It scared her, perhaps placing her duties above the ship on her previous ship wasn't the best of ideas. Couldn't she have simply accepted a position on board another ship as the chief engineering officer there? With a swift shake of her head she determined that was not the case. This was what she guessed she had been meant for, and her father most likely would have been proud of his daughter if the man hadn't been killed by the Dominion a species that she no longer desired revenge on. Instead she pitied them, and she pitied the Cardassians having never been one to hold a grudge for long. It was odd she presumed that unlike her own species she was perhaps one of the few that didn't hate the Cardassians instead she pitied them. Perhaps it was the Dominion war that the entirety of Cardassia Prime got involved for revenge against the Federation and her allies.

It mattered little to her something that day had changed a teenage girl, and that change gave her a dream and a hope. And, that dream and hope gave her the decision to join Starfleet as an engineer. It wasn't because of her father that she became an Engineer, she read his service record that wasn't the field that he started out in. He was a science officer before he commanded the Providence, her father she remembered was always an explorer. His daughter as a child was a tinkerer, and he had embraced that in her. Sarah's mother always disliked the Federation, and Starfleet not for their principles, but for the goals they didn't portray openly. And, the death of the man that she had loved caused that anger and hatred to run deeper. Sarah didn't join up to spite her mother, although that was an indirect effect of her choice, but she joined to honor the man she had loved. Her father would have wanted his daughter to be proud of her, and he was the one she had loved. She still loved her father even in spirit, and although his friend and Exec. told her that her father would have been proud no matter her choice she had chosen Starfleet.

And, now looking across the bridge, and looking at the red that she wore, and the rank that she had on her neck she would smile. Her career was on a fast track she was tasting what her father had always had since the Providence. She knew him as an explorer, and being a former Science officer it was fact. And, now she was doing something that he had always dreamed of, she would be exploring an unknown quadrant on her first ship in the Command Staff...

"Ma'am... Mind some company? Security is sort of... A hobby you might say, if you don't mind a tag-along?"

Shalla stopped right at the turbolift and turned around. The Klingon who was at the helm… Darco was his name, if she remembered from the interaction he had with the Commander, was approaching her. If she hadn’t had any dealing with Klingons, she would have gone for her phaser and placing a kill shot to his forehead. But time spent at the academy had placed her in contact with several klingons, either as combat trainers or as students. As a result she had grown used to the normal “aggressiveness” of the species. She flashed him a smile.

“Certainly Lt. Darco”, said Shalla, aping his aggressive nature. Since she was half Andorian, it came natural. “I’m just going to check on the brig and the weapons caches around the ship and then do a quick inspection of the armory. After that, I thought about either getting in a training exercise or get rip-roaring drunk at a bar and bust up a bunch of marines.”

She was only half joking as she stepped into the turbolift. She knew that she had to keep it down until they left the station as another incident like the one down on the planet might put her into the brig that she was about to check up on.

“So a Klingon Bridge Officer who isn’t security… how did that happen?

{tag Darco}

The look her got from her was a strange one, it almost looked like she wasn't used to such aggressiveness... That certainly could be true, but she had the look of Andorian blood, it was hard to miss, a lot like Klingon blood. Andorians were known for being aggressive themselves. It was one of the reasons he tended to like the race as a whole, bold. That and they had hot blood, almost like Klingon blood.

He gracefully walked to her, long strides natural for him, he approached quickly but tried not to be menacing.

He stepped into the turbolift behind her, he leaned casually against the right wall panel, "Well, I like Starfleet, brave men and women who know how to fight. They never just fight with fists, they fight with the mind. I think the Empire could learn a thing or two from that."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "So... Your mother or your father Andorian? That must be a cross to bear, either way."

USS Tiburon, Sammy's Bar
San Francisco Fleet Yards

"Not much to look at is it?"

Jeffery looked over to Sam, an eyebrow raised and his lips partially pursed,"You do know that she's been refitted."

Sam just gave a shrug,"Refitted or not, it's still old."

Both men returned their gaze to the Invincible that sat in it's own berth not too far away from where the Tiburon was. It's true that the Invincible was an older Excelsior class starship and had seen her days of service. That didn't stop Starfleet from taking her, and a number of other ships, into drydock facilities and getting them upgraded with the latest and greatest that could be fitted onto into their spaceframes. It didn't make them measure up spec for spec against some of the newer designs, but did breath life into them once again. Besides, it would be a rather shameful waste of duranium to let a starship just sit somewhere.

"When do you leave?"

Jeffery took another swig from his glass, putting the dark blue drink on the table behind him,"About an hour. Anxious to see me leave?"

"You bet. That's exactly why I cracked open a bottle of this Altairian Brandy for you." Sam heaved in amusement,"I just hate you that much."

Cracking a smile, Jeffery took a step back from the window. Turning about, he slid into the seat at the table he set his drink on. Sam followed a second behind him, also taking a seat at the table.

"You know Captain Juno put your name up for this." Sam said, his hand laxly extended out towards the door, as if to gesture that the captain was there.

Jeffery just gave a sigh. He should be feeling a sense of pride about himself for getting a senior position on a starship at twenty-six. Both his parents, especially Jeffery's mother, were ecstatic at the news that he had been given the Chief Security/Tactical position on a starship. Course that had lead into a three hour anecdote from his mother on why she had joined Starfleet, become an engineer, still is an engineer, always will be an engineer, etc. Jeffery had initially been assigned as an Operations officer on the Lisbon after academy graduation, but certain events unfolded that would stick him in the tactical department instead.

Leaning back in his seat, Sam continued,"He doesn't just give recommendations out either. I've been here at this bar for six years with him commanding this ship. If he thinks you've got something to offer, he'll put his word behind you."

"I know. It's just a bit, I don't know... daunting." Jeffery said, placing both his hands on the table and leaning forward,"I didn't expect to be doing this already."

Sam adjusted himself in his seat, sitting more upright,"Am I really hearing this?"

"What?" Jeffery inquired, also sitting up a little bit.

"You, what you're saying!" Sam almost exclaimed,"Daunting? You've always been such a rock."

Jeffery simply put his hands up in a defensive manner,"What, I'm not allowed to feel daunted?"

"No!"

"And why's that?" Jeffery asked, clearly puzzled.

A pause ensued for a moment before Sam stood up, grabbing his drink off of the table. He came around and stood next to Jeffery.

"Because you're Jeffery Cousland, a Starfleet Officer and Chief Tactical and Security Officer of the USS Invincible."

With that, Sam gave Jeffery a pat on the back,"Good luck, Jeff."

Jeffery watched as Sam walked out the door, tossing his glass behind the bar. A crash followed as the glass disappeared behind the bar, indicating that it had broken. Jeffery was now alone in the bar, the view of the Invincible still as clear as it was before they had taken a seat. He lingered a moment longer before he also got up and proceeded to leave the bar, making sure to toss his glass behind the bar. The appropriate din of glass breaking followed up.

-------------------
1 hour, 32 minutes later
USS Invincible, Crew Quarters Deck

He'd been on the ship for just over twenty minutes and he was already getting turned around. Were his quarters back two sections, or were they a deck below? It was almost embarrassing, but he didn't hold it against himself since there would undoubtedly be an adjustment period to his new surroundings. One thing was for sure, his duffel bag wasn't getting any lighter as he carried it about with him.

Another thirty minutes of wandering about eventually landed him at his quarters. They weren't as plush as those he had on the Tiburon, but it was ample enough. The sonic shower was a little bigger, something he'd complained about more than a few times on the Tiburon. He spent a few more moments in his quarters putting a few things away before stepping out of his quarters.

"Aright, time for business. Computer, where's the captain at?"

The Computer chirped it's curt reply. "The Captain is in his Ready Room."

"Fair enough." Jeffery said aloud, starting off to his right then quickly changing direction as the realization that the turbolift was in the other direction.

It was a short ride up to the bridge, a note of just how small the Excelsior class was in comparison to the massive Galaxy class he'd just been on. It wasn't necessarily detrimental to the ship, or it's crew, that the Invincible wasn't a behemoth that dwarfed everything that it came in contact with. Indeed, the Invincible could probably run circles around the Tiburon due to her smaller stature, a supposition reinforced by her recent refit.

The bridge felt a bit lackluster. Whether that was due to the decor or his still lingering unfamiliarity with the ship was unknown. The same sense of awe that he had when he had first stepped onto the Lisbon's bridge, then the Tiburon's, just wasn't there. Attribution of that could be the anxious knot he had that started to form in his gut. After all, wasn't often you would introduce yourself to the captain as one of their senior staff.

'You got this.' Jeffery thought to himself as he stood in front of the Captain's ready room.

He quickly straightened out his uniform then gave the chime a quick jab.

((Tag Archenon))

Matt picked up one of the fried onions that had fallen off of his plate, popping it into his mouth. He cleaned his face off with a napkin and inhaled the deep aroma of beef settled in the room. "How everywhere in the ship should smell..."

He was enjoying himself, relaxing, until his Ready Room door chimed. "Come." He stood from the chair, and was greeted by his new Chief of Tactical and Security, Lieutenant j.g. Jeffery Cousland. "Lieutenant Cousland, welcome aboard. Glad to see you made it aboard on time. How was your flight in?"

"Pleasant, sir." Jeffery replied, settling into a relaxed stance of attention, his arms behind his back.

Matt nodded at his response. He looked around the Ready Room admiringly. "Not as impressive as the Tiburon, I'm sure, but it's your first Senior Staff posting, correct?"

Jeffery tensed a bit at the question,"Yes, sir, And the Tiburon is a grand ship. I'm sorry to have left her. Not that I'm saying the Invincible is worse, but she's not as tough as the Tiburon."

Matt shared the Lieutenant's affinity for large ships; his first Senior Staff stint was on a Sovereign class ship so he could relate to the sense of un-awe at the smaller starship. "But she's ours, isn't she?"

Pausing for a moment, Jeffery was unsure of how to answer that. He hadn't really ever thought of either of his previous postings in that manner before. Making something 'ours.' It seemed alien to him. Doubly so since he'd just arrived on the ship less than a half hour ago. That sense of collective possession either hadn't manifested yet during his career, or he was incapable of that level of camaraderie.

"I- I suppose so, sir." Jeffery said, attempting to keep his composure.

((Tag Archenon))

"Aye, sir." Jeffery said, being dismissed.

Stepping just outside the ready room, Jeffery let the doors close and let out a breath. Letting himself relax out of his tensed up stance, Jeffery slowly wandered about the bridge in the direction of tactical.

'Pleasant enough.' he thought to himself. Had been, at least for Jeffery, rare to see a smile generated by a commanding officer. A personable touch, but he had no doubt that the man could be commanding when necessary.

Panning around the bridge, Jeffery could see several personnel at work. Some were tearing the guts out of consoles, others working on theirs.

((Tag anyone that's in proximity to the bridge))

Being tall had it's advantages, mostly long legs. Dr John Thomas Waterhouse MD made swift progress down the corridors of the dockyard passing ships in various states of repair before the view opened out revealing the delicate looking lines of an old Excelsior hull - USS Invincible - read the sign on the docking arm door. Hefting the duffel back onto his shoulder and rebalancing his box he walked in.

"Well here goes nothing" he muttered under his breath, they'd probably screwed up his paperwork or something, or perhaps the Captain wouldn't want him after all - stopping his mind from it's normal doubts with an effort of will he looked out from the windows of the arm admiring the long thin nacelles, so much classier than the fat things they use now, and much better than poor old Nightingale, he smiled with amusement thinking of Commander Hatcher working all the hours of the day to keep the old hospital ship warp ready, this would be different. "She's a real, if old, fleet cruiser Johnnyboy" the inner voice seemed almost happy, "and you get to keep her people healthy and wise."

Crossing into the ship proper the familiar sounds and smells of a ship getting ready for space surrounded him. "Permission to come aboard?" a grave looking man in security gold nodded to him, "Granted" then looking John over he added - "you'll be wanting the sickbay, deck 7 aft".

A short turbolift ride later Waterhouse entered the sickbay, glancing over the empty biobeds against the far wall he turned instinctively to the right headed for the duty doctor's station before stopping himself and turning left for the chief's private office. Dumping the box on the empty desk he surveyed the room, small but efficient and a good view of the darkened main sickbay through the glass. Finding the sickbay empty was slightly unexpected but the ship wasn't yet under her own steam. "So stop putting it off John and go see the boss" he addressed the large wall mounted medical replicator, then turning sharply before he found another reason to delay strode into the turbolift again "Bridge"

The lift doors opened on a scene of controlled mayhem, some officers seemed to be remodelling their consoles and the rest appeared to be finding out what they could do, a powerful looking man stood at the tactical station but Johns eyes came to rest on the young Bajoran woman in command red seated in the middle of the bridge, she seemed to be miles away in her thoughts. He walked slowly round from the lift doors to stand in front of her, placing the duffel on the floor and straightening his jacket, "Ma'am?" he ventured "Dr Waterhouse reporting aboard".

((Tag Cmdr Clarke, Mr Cousland))

(OOC: Hi folks, I just applied to join your merry crew and the XO indicated I should back post my arrival - so here I am - pending confirmation I shall be your new Doctor (not a ...))