Piping the Side, part 3

Posted on Tue 22nd Nov, 2022 @ 1:19am by Commander Mikaela Locke & Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & Khellian s'Siedhri MD & Renato Solis & Criswell Sandbags & Brigadier General Franklin Sinclair & Captain Andrus Grax & Lieutenant Damion Ildaran & Lieutenant JG Bikram Auden & Qaraq & Leslie Mack

2,209 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: A Fresh Perspective
Location: SB109 Arrival Dock
Timeline: MD 1, 1240
Tags: Navarra after piping notes play

Previously, ...

Elena placed the PADD into her cylindrical duffel bag and continued looking out of the window. She found herself excited to be in the mix of the infamous Triangle. Among some of the numerous races, she had helped broker various treaties and negotiations throughout the years. She felt like she was getting back into the mix of things for the Federation. Although Starbase 109 had a few distinct oddities that she was curious about, she was ready to see what her new staff had to offer, and what new adventure awaited.




And now, ....

Caroline shot a look at Harry, and he instantly understood to get the interloper out of the FNS camera range. Switching it to the docking collar was genius, because She knew that the new captain would be exiting the ship within a minute.

USS Anaheim, a Sovereign-class Starfleet ship, one of the newest launched, made real-space reversion on schedule, and a group of fighters provided an honor-guard for the ship arriving from the Federation. It took time for the ponderous vessel to reach the station's inner harbor and match seals and exchange atmosphere.

A light beside the hatch turned from red to green, and the band struck up the national anthem of the Federation. The inner hatch opened and a woman stepped onto the umbilical walkway. She was fairly tall, with dark skin, perhaps a racial mix, and she seemed young for such a responsibility as one of the premier star bases in the Federation. Her hair hung in curly waves, resting on the shoulders of her red uniform, making her look even younger as she stepped out on the umbilical.

"There she is!" exclaimed Caroline. "She is certainly an attractive woman, and we know she's well versed in diplomacy. She's heading down the walkway toward those tasked with her welcome. I can see the Executive Officer and the Second Officer in front, and the band is playing a lively rendition of the anthem as they near each other."

Caroline glanced over to see Leslie Mack conducting his own news report, and was glad he wasn't trying something ridiculous, like co-anchoring her spot. The nerve of that man! She'd have a talk with Handsome, who must have been surprised by Mack's tactics earlier.

Elena stepped through the airlock and to her surprise, found a band playing the Federation anthem at full blast. She noticed Commander Locke and Commander Graves standing at the passageway just outside the airlock. Elena made eye contact with them and nodded as she walked past the crowd of people gathered. Elena waved and shook the hands of those who offered to greet her as she made her way to her new staff.

Commander Locke took a couple of steps forward as the captain approached and came smartly to attention. "Captain," she began in a formal tone, "May I welcome you to Starbase 109."

"Thank you, Commander Locke. It is a pleasure to meet you." Captain Navarra returned and looked over the others gathered there. "Well, this is quite a gathering to receive me. Did you put this together?" Elena looked over Locke, slowly trying to analyze her and see what kind of person she was. This was what Elena would classify as her super power, being able to size people up very quickly and make a concise and accurate determination about them.

Mikaela smiled slightly wryly, knowing full well that, if it had been up to her, she would have met the new captain one-on-one in an airlock. "I can take credit for the formal aspect," she replied, "but, despite our size, we have a fairly tight-knit civilian population."

Her smile changed to a slightly warmer expression. "A new base commander is big news for everyone, not just the Starfleet crew. Speaking of which," she continued, the demeanor becoming slightly more formal again, "Allow me to introduce Commander Paul Graves - our second officer." She turned and indicated in the direction of the counselor.

Paul too went to attention and gave Captain Navarra a slight bow.

"Ahh, Commander Graves." Elena said as she was recalling a mental note about Starbase 109 staff. "You are the same Paul Graves who made first contact with the Dreel? I believe they communicate by pheromones. You and your language specialist aboard Ken came up with that solution. Am I right?"

Paul's eyes widened. "I should have anticipated the person who brought the Anticans into the Federation might have heard of the Dreel. They do have a spoken language, but yes, pheromones are much more important to their communications. The linguist, Dr. Lee Rosewyn, and I made the connection together. It will be a pleasure working with someone who has your diplomatic experience, Captain. Welcome to Starbase 109."

"Commander Locke?" Elena asked while still waving at the gathered ground and occasionally shaking the hands of those gathered. "It seems as if people have gathered for a show. Let's do a mini piping ceremony here for them to see, and then we can go to the bridge and do what needs to be done."

The Captain kept the smile on her face, but her face was already starting to hurt. It wasn't that she didn't like meeting people. It's actually part of the reason she became a diplomat. What she didn't like was the focus solely on her. But, she did understand the power in the pageantry of things.

Mikaela nodded, "Yes, sir," she replied, and turned smartly to give the signal for the ceremony to begin, before joining the rest of the waiting officers.

Lt. Commander Baro came to attention with the rest and waited for the new Captain.

Standing next to her was the sweaty-faced Leslie Mack trying to stay one step ahead of his own inept need to be on camera and also appear intelligent. He had made a silly mistake, calling them FNN out loud. Amongst his viewers they had a name "Federation News Ninnies" but Caroline had made him look like a fool. He hated the feeling of such embarrassment, and sulking was not helping his profile. The only way to get out there and be seen was to be seen!

As the new Captain had started greeting others, Leslie tried to get closer but was muscled out. He decided that was as good an angle as any to push. "They aren't letting me in, can you believe that? This is the establishment, folks, right here. Let the idolators feast, then, I'll get answers the good old-fashioned way and you will all be the first to know ... the truth."

Leslie and his beleaguered cameraman began looking for higher ground as he blustered on about being blocked when nobody seemed to listen or move at his protests.

Not far from the Chief Engineer, Jade stood back out of the way of the Starfleet officers. She was here in an official capacity, as president of the Promenade Merchants Association, and she had provided a great deal of unreplicated food, but she really didn't have a need to push herself forward for a meeting right this moment.

Lt. Commander Baro waited patiently pulling from memories of a Vulcan professor she'd had to keep her distaste for the loud mouth near her as he blathered on. Comforting herself with thoughts of how she could do things like change his sonic shower to play only Klingon Opera or some such, not that she would but such thoughts made her feel better. As things moved along she shifted to her new position which brought her closer to Jade. She nodded at the familiar face as the more formal bits continued.

Continuing her reporting, Caroline said, "The base high-ranking officers are gathering around the new captain, greeting her. I see some civilians in the crowd as well, and people are pressing into the security lines to get a closer look, but the atmosphere is more like a party, and non-threatening. Captain Navarra seems to be talking to the Executive Officer and Second Officer now, and others are stepping back slightly.

"Oh, wait," she interrupted herself. "It looks like the band is pausing and we're officially going to see the Piping to the Side ceremony. Let's watch and listen to this."

Those who realized the formal event was beginning quieted, leading to ripples of silence flowing from their center as the two boatswains lifted whistles to their mouths, paused, and then whistled a greeting that had been used for hundreds of years on Earth. Only slight variations and changes had been introduced in all that time, and some of the majesty of the greeting echoed over the crowd's heads.

Hanging from a superbly sturdy sconce, the young Bajoran found a perch with a great view of the proceedings, but only the top half of Leslie Mack's head. At this point the young man said nothing but gave Leslie a thumbs up to keep going.

Caroline's cohort stood nearby with an amplifying device, recording the ceremony, as did a Starfleet historian tasked with the official recording. As the whistled notes settled in the silence, Navarra turned to the executive officer.

"Permission to come aboard, Commander Locke," said Captain Navarra.

Locke almost bowed, but not quite. "Permission granted, Captain Navarra. You have command."

"I have command!" Elena stated proudly. A deafening applause erupted from the crowd. The Captain continued waving at the crowd and made her way to the Turbolift to go to the main bridge.

"Might have been easier to use the transporter, with all these people surrounding the new Captain," Caroline said over the muted noise of the people below. "However, we don't have many opportunities like this, and I imagine this makes us all feel Captain Navarra is more approachable."

She signaled to Harry to keep the camera on the captain's progress. "Let's watch as she makes her way to the turbolift. Her schedule shows a meeting with bridge officers before she retires to her new Ready Room." Post clicked off her mike, and made a wrap-it-up swirl with her right hand, before telling her assistant, "Follow the captain until she disappears into the 'lift, then go to commercial and back to our afternoon programming. I am outta here! Great job, everyone!" she smiled at her people.

Khellian whispered in an aside to Makila as they both watched the formality of the occasion. "I've not seen much of formal Federation ceremonies, I like it. "

"I'd like it better if there were fewer people. I'm getting a headache." Makila whispered back to her father with an impudent little smile. She too was interested in the ceremony. It was unique.

* * *
(Lower Decks)

An inordinately large number of enlisted crew were gathered in one of the more public areas of the lower decks, watching the Piping the Side ceremony on a vid-screen when they should have been working.

An angry voice was audible over the din, as the red-faced man ranted, “… no blood scans on record since her last physical, six months ago. Can you say Changeling?” Leslie continued on as some patrons groaned.

"Oh, geeze, it's Leslie Mack. Can we please change the channel?"

"Are you kidding? Somebody, pass the popcorn. He's way more entertaining than the ceremony! Seriously, he could sell tickets and take this act on the road."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but it's not an act."

His litany unphased by the need to breathe, Mack wheezed out another point, “… not to mention the time Starfleet Command had mind worms and almost took over the Federation from within!”

A few laughs, more than a few nodding heads as well took in the point.

"No way! Nobody could really be that obnoxious."

"Way."

{CRC- Brown Sector}

Lexy asked her mother about the new captain, Starfleet, and was quite taken with the change in command ceremony. Kya explained most of it, but Renato was paying attention and answered a very solid question from Lexy, “Is it always a party like this?”

Renato leaned forward, realizing she was right. Looking at her with a smile, “No dear, you are very keen. This is quite the show isn’t it?” His mind was now engaged in the mystery of why this was such a to-do. Was this a masquerade for a cover up of why the command changed? Get people excited about the new; they can forgive losing the old, perhaps.

=== Qaraq's Game Room ===

Qaraq laid a bowl of milk down on the counter next to the mysterious calico cat, who began lapping it up by getting some on her paw and then licking it off. The old Broot looked up at the monitor above the bar where the ceremony was being shown and crossed his arms, trying to fully decide on his reaction.

Behind Qaraq, one of the casino regulars, a man named Arthur, made a loud grunt as he set down another pint of Korfmager. "Starfleet knows how to pick 'em! All the lady Captains are beautiful! You'll never catch some homely lookin' thing with four pips on her collar!"

"I don't know," Qaraq rumbled. "I thought she'd be a lot taller."

The calico cat mewed loudly. Qaraq couldn't tell if she was adding her two cents or criticizing his milk.

 

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