Rules Of Engagement

Posted on Sat Oct 21st, 2017 @ 12:46am by Captain Remas McDonald

890 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: S1: These Are The Voyages...
Location: Armoury
Timeline: MD 1

Remas entered the armoury and looked around. It wasn't the first time he'd entered such a space on a starship, given the last few decades of war and strife across the Federation they were as commonplace as holodecks.

But this one was different. This one was on his ship.

He bypassed the weapons lockers and instead walked to an equipment rack. His hand stroked down the chest piece an armoured vest, his fingers pausing momentarily on the Federation crest emblazoned across the breast.

"We come in peace..." he whispered quietly to the silence.

"If we did that all the time, I'd be out of a job!" Victor exclaimed as he walked out from the rear storage room in the armory not realizing who he was talking to. When he did notice though it looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Oh, captain, sir. What can I do for you?" He asked quickly 'you idiot!' He screamed to himself subconsciously

“For a world where you are out of job my friend,” Remas said, tapping his knuckles against the hardened energy absorbent body armour. “Where we’re going starting a fight is not our main goal. But I’m not so much of an idealist that I’m not willing to carry the biggest stick on the block.”

He turned to Reynolds and smiles.

“How are you and your officer’s settling in?” He asked.

"Far as I know sir everyone is settling in well, myself included. Although this ship is a might bigger than I thought she'd be. Takes some learning to navigate her corridors." Victor replied with a chuckle.

"With a third of the crew sleeping away every other six months of the mission, it'll feel roomier than a Starbase. Not to mention the civi contingent manning the RecDeck facilities. Have we had any trouble from the colonists? I know they're packed away in their own barge along with the three auto freighters..." Remas shrugged. "I've met their like before when I was on my family homesteader. These colonists aren't the usual breed you see in the Federation. They don't want replicators on every corner and a cure for all that ills you. A few years ago they'd have been the first lot I'd have figured for Marqui, and hardliners at that."

Remas shook his head.

"And to think later tonight we'll be holding a dinner party for'em. I expect you there, best behaviour. Rules of engagement are non-lethal, but a squad in some of this body armour might be right welcome should Master and Mistress Briarwood get flustered over the finger nibbles."

"Of course sir." Vic said with a chuckle, "Should be interesting fun to see how everyone get's along, especially with how long of a voyage we're having. I suspect you'll want me to run readiness drills as soon as possible?"

"I'll settle for getting this showboat on the road before Starfleet can call up and send us somewhere other than where we're meant to go. Things with the Klingon's aren't exactly fine as rain, as they say," Remas thought about the nature of drills. "Plan is for us to drop out of acceleration shock just shy of Messier 4, a week or so out from its gravitational sphere of influence. Plenty of time in there to run a few drills."

"Very well sir, I can draft up a few drills for you to review and have you choose what you deem appropriate for what you think the crew needs to be ready on." Victor said with a smile as he prepared for the anger he was sure to follow."As for the senior officers, I want to run everyone through phaser competency training just make sure they're up to my standards of putting heat down range to should we need to not die somewhere in a firefight. Yourself included sir, if you don't mind."

"Not at all Mister Reynolds. I'd rather we had drills to practice than having actual cause to use them," Remas stated, reaching into the cabinet atop the cabinet with its armoured vest, and pulled a baseball cap from it. Emblazoned across the front was the Traveller's mission patch.

"Mind if I borrow this?" he asked, holding up the cap.

"By all means sir, I can replicate another one later should the need arise." Victor replied, wondering what he intended with the cap.

"Much obliged Mister Reynolds," Remas said with a nod, looking around the room one more time. "I'll leave you to it. But I wasn't kidding, I'll want you on the RecDeck at 1800. Full dress uniform I'm afraid. I want my command crew present so the colonists know we mean business, but also that we're people just like the rest of'em."

"I love an excuse to wear the dress uniform sir, I look quite dapper if I do say so myself. If I could use it as a regular duty uniform I may be inclined to wear it all the time. I'll see you at 1800 sir." Victor said with a smile, he loved parties regardless of the occasion.

"Well, rather you than me Mister Reynolds," Remas said, slipping the cap onto his head and walking out of the armoury. "Rather you than me."

Victor chuckled at the response then set off to continue about his inventory checks of the armory, minus one hat.

 

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