Honours - Part One

Posted on Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 @ 3:13am by Cailus Griffin & Captain Nycolas Temple & Commander Owen Nash & Lieutenant JG Vecon Fick
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 2:29pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 0830 Hours

A Mission Post by Captain Nycolas Temple & Lieutenant Commander Owen Nash & Lieutenant JG Cailus Griffin & Ensign Vecon Fick
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 0830 Hours
Tue Mar 20th, 2018 @ 4:01am

With the Pandora orbiting Salvaxe after her battle with the Ravagers, it was time to take stock and reflect on the extraordinary mission that the crew had just experienced. From that fateful moment of arriving in the killing fields, to the long and arduous journey through the Dark Matter, their happenstance first encounter with the Mendazians, and finally their tough battle against the Ravagers - it felt like a year had gone by in the life of the Pandora. Now that he had a moment to reflect, Captain Temple was keen to reward those he saw to have excelled at their duties, and give his personal thanks for their service.

The first to be called to Nyx's ready room were Lieutenant Commander Nash, Lieutenant Junior Grade Griffin, and Ensign Vick, and Nyx stood by his desk awaiting for all three to arrive with a proud smile on his face.

Ensign Fick was only slightly nervous as he made his way to the Captain's ready room. Everytime he was called to the ready room he felt like he'd been called to the principal's office. Of course, that feeling might be just out of habit. He tapped the door buzzer and rocked on his heels while he waited.

"It's open," Nyx called back, eagerly awaiting to see who was first to arrive. He beamed at the young helmsman, "Mr. Fick, thank you for coming in so early. I hope you enjoyed your turn piloting the Starfighters?"

Fick couldn't help the grin that happened. "You're welcome, Captain." Not knowing how to contain his excitement about the Starfighters, he wiggled a little. "It was awesome! More than awesome! Amazing! I really like the way they handle. You know... it's nothing like the simulation. It really isn't. So much more awesome!" He realized he was rambling a bit. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fly one, Sir," he said more seriously.

Nyx nodded, "I'm sorry it was necessary, but I'm glad you were able to capture those Ravagers alive. If you'd like more experience flying the Starfighters, I could always talk to the Marines about giving you training? Seems like it would come in handy."

Fick was already nodding before Nyx had even finished speaking. "Yes, Sir! Please... uh... sorry... I'd really like that." He rocked on the balls of his feet, trying hard to contain his excitement at the opportunity. It wasn't often that someone that wasn't a Marine was even able to fly a Starfighter, much less get the chance at training.

While Fick was excitedly thinking about starfighters, the door chimed once more.

"Enter." Nyx called out, smiling at Fick's obvious excitement.

The doors opened to reveal the ever-serious Lieutenant Griffin, who walked in and stood at ease, his back ramrod straight. “Reporting as ordered, Captain.”

Fick waved at Cailus, grinning.

"Thank you for coming in," Nyx replied with a nod. "I think we'll need to give your team extra privileges or something to thank them for the work they did on the Carnage."

Cailus didn’t need time to think before replying. “Yes sir, I concur. The performance of the Bridge crew was exemplary under the circumstances.”

Having completed his rounds, Owen finally managed to get himself some time to go to the Captains Ready Room to get caught up on matters and to finally have a chance to see how he was doing after his recent injuries.

The door chimed as Owen approached and he waited patiently to enter and to see what this was about.

Nyx raised his eyebrows, wishing he'd just left the door open. "Come in."

Owen made his way into the Ready Room and stood to attention. "My apologies for being late sir, just finishing up on some paperwork," he explained.

"Welcome," He nodded to the Pandora's Executive Officer, "All quiet on the ship?"

Owen let slip a smile. "Its about as quiet as it was before recent events took over... I'm hoping this will give the crew a chance to regroup and refocus on the task at hand," Owen reported. "Until the next catastrophe threatens to test our impresive resolve of course..."

"Let's hope that's not any time soon." Nyx remarked with a single raised eyebrow.

Fick shifted back and forth on his feet. He was starting to get nervous again. All of these officer outranked him and the Captain and the Executive Officer were here. Anxiously, he looked from face to face to see if he could guess what was going on and whether or not he should be worried. He was pretty sure that everything had gone according to plan and couldn't think of anything he'd done personally to screw it up, yet he was still here with higher ranking officers.

"Well, now that we're all here, I can begin." Nyx smiled. "The mission that we just completed was long, complicated, and difficult. We were all tested, in ways I hadn't considered. I have no shame in admitting to you all that I made mistakes as your Captain. I was trying to respond to the situation at hand and I'm still learning how to better cope with the many demanding aspects of this assignment. I can only promise you personally, as I will to the entire ship, that I will take onboard my own failings and become a better Captain as a result. The one thing all my trainers and commanders in the past have said is that I don't make the same mistakes twice."

Nyx shifted slightly, clearing his throat. "Now I'm not just saying this because I'm internally a raving narcissist who likes to talk about myself. I am saying this because in the heat of the moment, when things were dire, and you were each put under considerable pressure to perform outside your usual duties, you each came through for the Pandora. And for that I am eternally grateful. It was so reassuring to know that this ship has a studious and professional Executive Officer, a capable and strong Security Chief - nay, acting Captain - and a smart and talented Chief Flight Control Officer. Your work was exemplary and a tribute to the fine Starfleet officers that you are."

Fick blushed. He couldn't help the rise of heat in his cheeks and even rubbed one in an attempt to stop it. Maybe he wasn't in trouble after all.

Owen stood proud for a moment as Nyx heaped his praise on them for a job well done during the recent mission. Although he himself was happy that the Pandora was in one piece, he also realised they had a fine crew on board. "To quote a certain Starfleet Admiral sir, we're Starfleet Officers... Weird & Heroics are part of the job..." Owen responded. He noticed afterwards that there were several small metal boxes on Nyx's desk and wondered for a moment.

"Mr. Nash," Nyx smiled again as he picked up a small metal box. "For your impressive negotiating skills and diplomatic work with the Mendazians, taking a leap of faith as the first Federation delegation to the planet Salvaxe, and the winner of some new friends, I hereby promote you to the rank of full Commander."

The Captain opened the box and revealed a shiny new gold pip, to replace the onyx one on Nash's lapel.

Owen accepted the box from Nyx and shook his hand in thanks with a small but proud smile creeping across his face. "Thank you sir," he said. "Dads going to enjoy hearing about this almost as much as hearing about the family's newest addition..."

"Mr. Griffin," Nyx then turned to the Security Chief, knowing the formal man disliked such sentiments. "For your calm and controlled turn as acting Captain of the Pandora, for your superior tactical abilities in which you defended this ship from the Ravagers, and your quick thinking and decision making that probably saved many lives, I hereby promote you to the rank of full Lieutenant."

The Captain turned the box over to Griffin, and once again the black pip was replaced with a gold one.

Cailus had been expecting the promotion, having known it was the logical action in the aftermath of battle, but even so, he was caught unawares by the rush of emotion that enveloped him as Nyx replaced the pip. It was a silly thing, but with his old rank finally restored to him, he felt whole. He’d had no idea how much he had missed his old rank until now, even though he had accepted the voluntary demotion without resentment. It was idiotic, he knew, as nothing would be changing save for the pips he put his collar on every morning, but even so, it meant a great deal.

Not, of course, that Cailus would ever show that in an official setting. Instead he simply said “Thank you Captain,” with his usual unaffected gruffness, standing there at attention.

"And last, but certainly not least, Mr. Fick." Nyx nodded to the young officer, "Your helmsmanship helped to dissuade the most brutal of Ravager attacks, and not to mention your deft abilities as a Starfighter pilot and your precise handling of a Luna Class vessel to come out of warp and stop right next a Ravager shuttle, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade."

This time, a shiny black pip was added to Fick's collar, next to his existing gold one.

Fick was wide-eyed and for once, at a loss for words. When he could speak again, "Thank you," was all he could muster.

“Alright.” Nyx took a step back and looked at his newly decorated officers. “I’ll let you get back to work now. Congratulations to you each.”

For a moment Fick didn't seem to know what to do with himself. He bowed and then saluted and then bowed again. "Thank you. Thank you, Captain," he said before turning and pretty much floating from the room.

With a considerably more restrained nod to the captain and the newly promoted commander, Cailus followed the ecstatic Fick out, leaving Nyx and Owen alone.

OFF