Green Across the Board

Posted on Sat May 30th, 2020 @ 10:41am by MERCHANT RANKS Kas Shar’zhen (NPC) & Second Mate Colleen Branagan
Edited on on Sun Jun 7th, 2020 @ 2:56am

1,495 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Proving Ground
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD1 0700

{Bridge- Second Star}

Having spent most of the previous day getting hired and learning her way around Second Star, Colleen Branagan was ready to step up to her science role on the ship. The captain had told her his Executive Officer, Kas , would help her configure her bridge station. She'd looked him up, only to find out he was a she, Kas Shar'zhen. At least she'd know to seek out an official looking female if she needed help.

Once again, Branagan stepped onto the bridge from the turbolift and took a moment to look around. There were not as many people in evidence this early as there had been yesterday afternoon. The bridge was a standard configuration, so she headed to the console she expected to be science, confirming it by the choices available on the stand-by screen. Taking the seat, she began to run through the set-up.

About 20 minutes later, Colleen felt someone's presence and looked up to find a white-haired Andorian woman watching her. She smiled and stood, holding out her hand. "I'm thinking you might be the XO, Kas Shar'zhen?"

Kas understood handshakes but still found them awkward given how alien it was to her own culture. Quinton pumped hands like an election year was coming, so she had distaste for the practice. With a professional curtness she minimally took the hand offered with a small shake.

"Yes, a pleasure to meet you. You must be Second Mate Branaagaan? Thank you for being pro-active and setting up your station, I am not used to that given many of our recent hires." The name would have double consonants in her tongue at the letter "A" so it sounded odd to hear Kas try so hard not to.

"Oh. I'm only doing what I always did in the past. The console doesn't seem too different, but I'm sure there are ways Second Star does things which are not the same as I'm used to doing." Colleen moved back from the console and gestured the XO into the chair.

"Please, have a seat and add things I don't know I need, as well as deleting things I don't need that I thought I might," she laughed. "Just tell me what you're doing so I can still function as a science officer on the bridge, please."

Kas honestly had no idea what her day to day would look like. She would certainly come in very useful with her Starfleet training, and the console matched those expectations. She determined the highlights would be the weaknesses and blind spots, as well as the soft pitch of their deeper purpose into Talar.

"You have it very well arranged, I find no faults. I'd like you to pay attention to Ops systems as well, if you can improve efficiency with any projects or innovations. There are several problem areas."

Kas added the OPS master display but it looked crowded, so she added monitors to the problem zones to alert the station if it detected problems. Red zones all over showed the level of cobbling and jury rigging that compromised the "functional vessel" they rode in.

"Wow," Branagan said, shocked at all the red zones. "Where was this ship before you got it! This looks like a Ferengi fix over here. Anything they get their hands in is more complicated than it has to be, but it DOES work, so I'll leave that for the time being."

Her fingers traced over the screen, checking where each red zone connected to other parts. "This is going to take a while to sort out, a day or two, I think. We'll be safely in hyperspace, though ...." Her voice trailed off as she continued to examine all the cobbling that had been done.

Finally, Colleen turned to look up at the XO. "Sir, there's a lot of jury-rigging in here. Do we have access to parts I might need? Or can we replicate them? I don't want to mess up what's working if I can't fix it correctly."

Kas shook her head, "With time. Starfleet removed all of their technology, our company doesn't have Industrial Replicators of any significant capacity yet. We think the crews who repaired this vessel cannibalized their own to make it work. A Ferengi, a Deltan, a Human, and there were Breen bio suits in lockers, if that helps. Anything we request from Starfleet has too high a cost so for now, you have full access to anything you need that our Engineering Fabricator, or ships Bosun Vicente can obtain."

She was honest, forthright, and wanted to do a good job, but could she be trusted? Kas asked herself, wanting to trust her own instincts. Finding the Lafitte in the scrapyard had saved their lives, and keeping it had taken all their resources and wits. Quinton was treading a line to keep this perfect balance, but losing the ship to Starfleet was all of their primary concern. Colleen would have a field day in the vaults, and was their best chance to actually figure out what they had.

"Understood. I will work on one thing at a time and see what I can do, when my own station is calm. I'll just be glad that someone didn't fudge parts together like this for science. Probably wasn't at the top of their list," she smiled up at Shar'zhen and laughed. "If only they'd known what you can do with a little science!"

Kas allowed herself to reply with a gracious smirk, but the command face resumed nearly right away. "It is gratifying to have you on board then. I'd like you to also keep an eye on ships sensors during our transit, you may be the most qualified on board to suss our problems before we encounter them. Check it over, tell us if you need to make any changes, we have under three days to achieve mission status or we stand to lose our contract."

Looking back at the station, she rubbed her hand along the side of it affectionately. "The tetryonic sensors will be top of the list, but I'll keep you posted on my progress. I think I can have it working more efficiently by the time we come out of warp space."

Depending on how Othor reported his thoughts, Kas felt Colleen was one of the good one who could be trusted. "Well, since you've taken on the role of sciences so willingly, I'd like to recommend you to our Command crew briefings as an administrator. It would mean an expansion of your present role, I'll have Fala negotiate your pay increase if that's okay?"

It was a leap of faith, but Colleen had passed scrutiny at every opportunity. They needed her, plain and simple. Between Simon, Colleen, and Kas there was a solid military presence on board, requisite training to carry them through. If she was a spy, like so many before her, she deserved to be here. Quinton would trust her judgement, and there wasn't time to delay. Colleen needed to know what was coming.

"A-a-alright," Branagan stuttered. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make our ship successful ... but wait on the pay increase, maybe see if I'm worth what you're already paying me. We can hold that thought for say ... the end of this mission? If all goes well, we revisit it."

The scientist wasn't sure how involved she wanted to get with this ship, with it's people. She'd been thinking in terms of going home again. What if this could be your new home, girl? She could almost hear Gram O'Mara's practical voice in her head.

She smiled tentatively at the person she thought of as the executive officer. "I know there's a lot going on here, and I don't understand much of it, but I want to do whatever is required to help. Let's just see how much help I can be, deal?"

"As you please, we can wait until you are better acquainted."

That was better than Kas hoped, anyone who could still say "maybe" after seeing the work to be done was worth being patient for. Outside of Starfleet, crew members didn't do extra anything unless they got paid extra. Honestly, Kas felt a kinship in that sense of duty, missing a small slice of a previous life. It was also a breeding ground for opportunistic lay abouts to take advantage.

She added, "Though Starfleet doesn't have a payroll department, we do. If you find yourself doing work outside the listed duties, it should be compensated accordingly."

Colleen grinned, "I'll let you know if I accomplish anything worth compensation, or I begin to feel abused as a crew member."

Kas laughed without meaning to, "It's my job to abuse the crew, nobody else. I'll return to my station now, please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. It will be nice working with you Kowleen."

by:

Kas Shar'Zhen- XO
Second Mate Colleen Branagan - Science

 

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