A New Beginning

Posted on 15 Oct 2012 @ 9:28pm by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cyrus Kiwosk & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm

1,916 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD 02 - 0830 hrs

[ON]

The buzzer screamed noisily, forcing Cyrus out of his induced comatose state. It was long after that he decided to dress, shave and make himself as presentable as possible. He gave his beard a quick trim in the hotel washroom and checked out with all of his gear, returning the cards to the clerk before heading out the main lobby exit.

It was only now a taxi cab away from his new home on the USS Galileo. It was no issue waving down a cab. As he stepped inside he asked to go to the USS Galileo site.

It wasn't long before Cyrus was standing in front of the the badly damaged beauty. Sparks were flying and repair crews were working overtime welding and replacing what seemed to be everything. As he stepped closer to the open hatch where they were welcoming the new crew members he glanced at his watch. "1100. Well, at least I'm not late." He chuckled quietly to himself.

He showed his transfer papers and made his way into the ship with little trouble. His duffel bag slung to one shoulder. He stopped once to ask for directions before being pointed in the direction of the ready room.

As he approached the door he realized how small the ship seemed compared to the Intrepid and Galaxy class starships he had been on previous to the Nova class. It almost seemed like half the ship was missing...

"Well...half the ship IS missing." he joked quietly so no one could hear. It all seemed so different, except for the ready room doors.

He pressed the chime and announced himself. " Chief Warrant Officer Cyrus Kiwosk, I'm hear to see the XO I beleive?"

It was still an early hour of the morning and Lirha had just arrived at her office, and having recovered from a concussion the previous day, she unfortunately still felt a bit groggy. Orders from her medical staff had stated that she was to remain in her quarters until she was fully recovered, but Lirha had a bit of a stubbornness to her. And ultimately, she was the ship's captain, and her concerns for her duties overrode any obligation to her personal health. At least, in her opinion.

As she stood at the replicator and ordered a cup of hot chocolate, the door chime sounded and echoed softly throughout the room. "Enter." she called out over he shoulder, keeping her eyes on the warm mug as it materialized in front of her.

'easy enough' Cyrus thought to himself. He stepped forward and as the door slid open he hefted his duffel bag so it was better placed on his shoulder. He spotted a green skinned humanoid, 'An Orion?' He thought, trying to remember the lady's race. She looked a little worse for wear, and Cyrus couldn't help but noticed stress lines along the face. She had gone through hell, that much was certain.

He decided he wouldn't push the issue, most people didn't like to talk about past ordeals, he knew that much. Instead, he smiled. "As mentioned, CWO Kiwosk reporting in, I arrived late yesterday."

Lirha watched from the replicator as a large gold-collared, brown-haired man entered the room. To say he was muscular was an understatement, and he had the words 'Security' written all over him. "Hello, Mister Kiwosk." she said politely in greeting, offering him a friendly smile. "I'm afraid the XO won't be on duty for another few hours, but I'm happy to get you settled in the meantime. I'm Commander Saalm, captain of Galileo. Please, have a seat." she said, motioning with her green hand towards a vacant chair across from her desk and then returning to her chair with her mug in hand.

Cyrus nodded and set his duffel down slowly onto the floor before sitting himself into the chair. "So I get to meet the Commanding Officer on my first day, I have to say it's an honor ma'am." He rolled the shoulder where the bag strap had been. "It must have been a rough ride Commander. I haven't seen a ship this badly damaged since the Fitzgerald get chewed up by the Dominion."

The captain nodded slightly at the acute observation. "Yes, we encountered a bit of resistance on our way home. Luckily, Starfleet's Corps of Engineers knows how to design a solid spaceframe." she said lightheartedly, declining to comment on the details of Galileo's previous mission. Crossing her legs beneath the desk, she leaned back in her chair and sipped her drink for a moment before setting the mug down. "So...do you have your orders with you? What brings you to Galileo?" she asked, curious as to the nature of his assignment.

Cyrus chuckled. "They do at that don't they." He frowned slightly afterwards. "Orders? Well, I know I was supposed to meet the upper brass and my department head and get the physical and mental evals done, but other than that I'm not quite sure what else I'm to do as of yet." He shrugged. "As for my transfer, well..." He paused and swallowed carefully. "I need some time away from my primary position, which is as a marine. I thought I would do my part as a member of a security team and sort of go from there." Cyrus replied, omitting the entirety of the almost botched mission and the trauma it had left.

Lirha raised an eyebrow. "I see...so you serve in the SFMC as well?" she asked, impressed that the man had more than the basic Starfleet security training. It was rare to find crewmen who had dual areas of expertise, and no doubt a Marine would be very beneficial to her ship's security department.

The Warrant Officer cough loudly before continuing. "Yes ma'am, I'm was a sergeant with SFMC when I was on the Fitzgerald. I was under the command of Major Fernandez, though I heard he was due for another promotion. I served with the Fitz's marine detachment for two years straight after I graduated from the academy. During my last mission we were to save a group of Federation prisoners from a Dominion Remnant Contingent, but the DRC's ambushed us and everything almost failed completely." He swallowed hard before continuing. "Near the end of the mission I ended up grabbing a photon grenade that landed in a cluster of the prisoners and instead of throwing...I ran with it because I knew i didn't have the time to throw. I got four steps and had just dropped it when the bomb went off. My medical records sort of finish that story." He finished and didn't talk for a few moments, his eyes glazed over from the recollection.

Just as fast as he had disappeared into a haze, his eyes snapped back into focus, with a tired smile he added. "So after I got patched up, I figured it would be best if I worked my second trade." He shook his head softly. "Too many marines now a days get wrapped up in all the fighting because they don't have the skills needed in other fields. I didn't want to be like the thousands of marines that end up in a gutter after a tour." He chuckled and scratched his beard for a moment. "Figured it would be better for the resume."

"Yes, serving dual postings will definitely improve your accolades and most likely open up more opportunities for you in the future." she replied in agreement. "And...I understand the emotional and physical trauma which can come with extended deployments." she added before pausing briefly to push some of her dark hair from her face. "Will this be your first Fleet posting, or have you served in the Security department before?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged. "Well if you want to look at it from a Starfleet point of view ma'am. I've had 4 month stint on the Endeavor which was part of my work term." He paused and chuckled. "But if you are asking in my opinion, this is my first time serving in a security department setting without supervision."

"I understand." she replied, "I'm glad to hear you have a bit of experience, it will definitely help you adjust to your new role. Security is slightly different from many Marine Corps positions, but there are also many similarities as well." she explained in a casual manner. "I'm assuming this is your first time aboard a Nova Class starship?"

"Yes it is, though I heard they can be as tough as the Defiant when they want to be. I guess the new decor proves that easy enough." He chuckled. "I'm more used to the Intrepid and Galaxy class cruisers." He shifted his posture in the chair before continuing. "Suffice to say I had a system shock at seeing the size difference. My last post was on a Galaxy."

He smiled, actually enjoying the interview compared to the 3rd degree he got from Commodore Sturmgeist and the informal pat on the shoulder he received from Major Fernandez.

"Yes, the differences between a Galaxy and a Nova are...vast, to say the least." she replied in agreement. "Galileo is only half the size of a Galaxy's nacelle, and we lack many of the facilities and amenities of of our larger cousins." she added, giving the man fair warning about the lack of recreational areas aboard her ship. "But she's a good ship, and we put her through her paces during our previous mission. She'll hold up well enough."

Cyrus grinned and nodded. "Well, I glad to hear that Commander. I'm looking forward to my stay here on the Galileo . Do you happen to know where I would find the security department. It says I should check in with the Security Department head, but I sort of made a bee-line here first. " He added almost apologetically.

Lirha took another long drink from her mug and set it back down. "The security offices are down on Deck 3, however our current security chief was injured several days ago and has been transferred off to more elaborate medical facilities. In the meantime, Ensign Rhodes is our acting Chief Security Officer. At least, until we find a replacement." she said.

"Understood Commander. Are there any other questions ma'am?" He asked quietly.

She adjusted herself in her chair and spread her hands in an inviting manner. "No further questions, Mister Kiwosk. Do you have anything for me?" she asked, giving him the chance to ask about anything on his mind

Cyrus shook his head slowly and smiled. "No Commander, I never really had any real questions to start, Besides Commander, I'm sure I'm not the only one that you need to see today, though I really enjoyed the chat." He smiled and picked up his duffel, slinging it onto his shoulder.

"I guess the doctor will be next then if the lieutenant isn't in yet. Thank you again Commander."

Lirha nodded in appreciation. "Welcome aboard Galileo, and I look forward to working with you soon. Dismissed." she said curtly, signaling for the warrant officer to be on his way.

Cyrus snapped a salute, only bringing it down once she dismissed. Turning his head as he walked towards the door he smiled. "Pleasure to aboard mam, I won`t disappoint."

[OFF]

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CMDR Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo
+
CWO Kywosk
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo

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