Aftermath

Posted on Tue Sep 28th, 2010 @ 7:25pm by Captain Tobias Renshaw & Commander Tatianna Lazarovic
Edited on on Sat Jan 8th, 2011 @ 8:32am

Mission: Endurance
Location: USS Nautilus-Captains Ready Room
Timeline: Current

Tobias slumped into the overstuffed chair of his ready room and took a moment to realise just what had just transpired.

The USS Nautilus had been ordered to escort a convoy of relief and aid ships to Neverdia, a binary star system on the very lip of what was at some point, part of the Dominion Empire; though that was before the Empire started to crumble under the weight of its losing the War for the Alpha Quadrant.
Systems, once under the iron grip of the Dominion and their merciless Jem'Hadar soldiers had started petitioning the Federation for assistance.

By all accounts the mission was supposed to be routine, in fact it should have been. Tobias remembered the conversation he had with his XO on the bridge just before the attack.

"I'm still trying to figure out who you annoyed to get us assigned to this mission, "Commander Tatianna Lazarovic remarked candidly some five hours before, leaning against the curved railing of the tactical console that ringed the back of the bridge.

Tobias had suppressed the urge to laugh before turning his chair to face his executive officer. "Not all our missions are glamorous Number One, there are times when even a Ronin class Strike Cruiser has to babysit. FleetOps wanted us to make sure that this convoy reached its destination, to ward off any potential threats to it."
Tatianna was never as adept at hiding her frustration as Tobias was, running a hand though her mass of untied curly hair trying to displace some that frustration, "Well Sir, Might I say we have been very busy in these past two weeks." Her response was with a hint of sarcasm, as she drifted in and out of her Slavic accent.

That was before everything went to hell. Five Dominion vessels; a Warship and four Attack Ships entered the system soon after the convoy did. While The Nautilus was able to protect the convoy from the raiders, Disable the two Attack ships and force the WarCruiser to withdraw it did so at a terrible cost.

"We survived," remarked a voice at the door to his ready room, causing Tobias to look up and see his executive officer standing in the open doorway as it closed behind her.

Smiling somewhat, though mainly at the smudges that covered her face or the rats nest her hair had become, marring her otherwise immaculate complexion. "We did Number One, but only barely, I'm just thankful that we were able to stare down that WarCruiser,"

Motioning for her to sit across from him he stood and approaced the replicator located in an alcove, "Would you like something?"

Tatianna walked the rest of the way across the ready room, she felt a twing of pain shoot though her sore muscles. During the attack she was one of the lucky ones to maintain the grip on her chair and stay seated but that didn't mean she wasn't bashed around. "I think I need a very cold glass of water and a wet cloth of something to get cleaned up?"

Tobias nodded before ordering the iced water and a large cup of coffee, black with no sugar and returning to his desk.

Tatianna had pulled the hair tie out of her hair as she watched the captain walk to the replicator, as he ordered she leant her head back to try and brush her fingers though the tangled mess. "Engineering told me that they will do some quick repairs that will hold us together until we reach a starbase and Medical still giving me numbers on injured crew but it sounded like our poor Doc is rather busy," Tatianna looked up as Tobias moved back to his desk, her hair was in some order now "It looks like it will take some time for us to limp back"

Tobias took his seat, and placed the glass of ice-water in front of his executive officer and sat down in his chair, looking down at his terminal he noticed the two status updates from his Chief Engineer and Chief Medical officers. "How is the rest of the crew?" he asked taking a sip of his coffee, and smiling as he felt his reserves of caffiene being replenished.

Tatianna nodded, "They are shaken at the moment, but pulled together nicely, I have asked everyone to send me though a full department report when they can, I am also planning on droping into security doing sweeps for Engineering and helping them out when I am able to and that is okay with you, Sir?" she asked reaching for the the ice-water and holding it against her neck feeling the cool sensation run down her spine.

The captain smiled, this was not the first time he had been in combat, nor was it the first time that he had taken the Nautilus into combat, but it was the first time that the Nautilus had been outnumbered. Sure the Ronin's were built to take on Dominion War cruisers; but not to take on War Cruisers with Attack Ships was just beyond the capabilities of the Strike Cruiser.

"I'm sure that the damage control teams could use the help. At current speed we'll return to Starbase 629 in about a week at warp 7. But we'll be travelling through the same area we just travelled through." he remarked before steepling his fingers in front of him. "We're wounded, and that will make us a ripe prize,"

"Would of been nice to have figthers huh" Tatianna commented before pulling the water from her neck and taking a mouthful, she swallowed that mouthful before speaking again "Sir, is there any possibitly at all of having a escort for us now?" there was a slight smile placed on her lips as she thought of the irony.

"And were exactly would we have put them Tati? Bolt them to the hull?" Tobias commented before looking down at his console, before looking back up at his executive officer. The news was not good, "The nearest ship is the Alleghany, and she's two weeks out."
Creasing his brow, Tobias gave his executive Officer a concerned look, "Are you okay, number one?"

Tatianna had a slightly raised eyebrow to start off with at the captain giving her a nickname, this was the first time he done that and she wondered if he would used that from now on. The commander shook her head when the captain asked he a question "I feel like I have done a sparring match, so a bit sore but I am fine Sir. How are you though?"

Tobias smiled, though mostly at Tatianna's expression to his shortening of her name, "Good to hear, aside from the old rotator cuff, I'm fine"
Standing, he leant against his desk, padd in his hand, "According to Chastity, we've got roughly a third of the crew is injured, no word yet on the number dead, but I'm not going to get my hopes up that its going to be a small number. But what I do know is that we've lost a lot of good people."

Tatianna had set the glass down before rubbing her eyes as she tried to think for a moment "Well what are you thinking for the funerals of those crew whom pass?"

Tobias took a moment to think over what she said; he hadn't thought about memorial services, but then the battle had only just happened. "Hmm? Oh yes of course, we will be holding a memorial as soon as we get on top of the repairs. I suspect that Holly will have her hands full for the next few weeks,"

Tatianna nodded her head, understand that the poor Counsellor probably would have a line all the way down the corridors "Anything you wish me to do? to help lighten the work load when I am not on shift, beside helping the damage control team". Tatianna never saw herself as an XO that stood on the bridge and watch the ship limp back or ordered Crew to do something that she could help out with if possible, more so in situations like this.

That caused the Captain to smile, Tatianna's compassion was one of her more more desirable traits as his Executive Officer. "I think Holly would appreciate all the help she can get. I would like you to take care of the memorial services, as no doubt I will have a number of letters to write."
Standing once more Tobias finished his coffee and standing before Tatianna, he knew that she would do as he asked, she was by far a better executive officer than he was when he held the post.

Tatianna finished the rest of her water sensing that Tobias would soon be dismissing her so she could get about the list of work she had created in her head. Meet all departments, help out the crew, help out the consellor and do the service.
"Will there be anything else, Sir? I also take it our debriefs are going to be post poned till we are at a starbase? I will keep a record if that is the case".
Tatianna pushed her self up from the chair so she was now standing infront of the captain, who was a good 5 inchs taller then the smaller woman.

Tobias nodded curtly, "It will have to be, at least until we manage to get on top of things," he remarked before returning to his desk, "I'd like you to get started immediately."

"I had planned to Sir, I will let you know when my duites for the day is finished too" The commander stood there for a moment waiting for the captain to dismiss her .

Tobias nodded before smiling, "I'll see you then, dismissed."