Preparations - Part I
Posted on Fri Dec 5, 2025 @ 6:57am by Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Colonel Nicholas Means III & Lieutenant T'Lul & Lieutenant JG Hannah Reeves & Sergeant Major Arcenio Velez
Edited on on Fri Dec 5, 2025 @ 8:10am
1,401 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission: Time After Time
[Cargo Bays 119-121]
Means stood within Cargo Bay 120 as the clearing had begun. There wasn't a huge rush but the sooner the bays were cleared the sooner the floor plan could be set up.
Looking at his PADD he looked at arrangement still to be made:
Completed:
- Invitations to station senior staff and ambassadorial delegations
- reserve ball location
- create floor plan
- arrange to tables and seating
TO DO:
Food - cater or replicate
wait staff
Bar - cater or replicate
Music
Ceremonial Cake & cakes for each table - cater or replicate
Select cake guard - tasked to Velez
Schedule ceremony practice - tasked to Velez
Find Guest of Honor
As he moved towards the Promenade he added another item to his list...
Find a date
Looking up from his padd he began his trek through the Promenade to check on the various vendors to see what kind of deals he could get and to see if they could even provide what he needed.
T'Lul had not had much to do with the Marines. She did not recall meeting many of them. Given her position as the Chief Counselor and the impending ball, it was only logical that she stopped in to check on the progress and perhaps meet some marines to see if they needed her assistance. Thus, the Vulcan walked across the Promenade towards the Cargo Bays.
Former Marine, Lieutenant JG Hannah Reeves was in charge of preparing the Cargo Bays for the Marine Ball. "Mendez, where are the supports for the Cargo Bay ceiling?" She called. "You removed the adjoining walls between the Bays, but they were also supporting the weight of the ceilings."
"Sorry, ma'am, I got distracted, on it right now, ma'am." Ensign Javier Mendez replied.
Mendez was a good engineer, his mind just tended to wonder. "Okay, place concentrate on your work." Reeves replied.
"K'Zal how's power hook up going?" She asked.
"Very well, m'lady Reeves, it should be complete in 3 standard minutes." K'Zal came from a world where the only females with power were in the nobility, he was therefore from birth to address his female betters as m'lady, something he has had trouble shaking after entering Starfleet.
Hannah rolled her eyes, but said. "Good work."
T'Lul walked up to Hannah and asked, "Lieutenant, what are you doing here? Is this not a Marine preparation?"
"It may be a Marine preparation, but it is taking place on the Station, and I'm engineer, Ma'am." Hannah said. "Besides, I'm a former Marine, and if it hadn't been assigned to this project, I would have volunteered anyway."
"Why is that?" T'Lul asked curiously, as well as wondering if she offended Hannah.
"The Marine Corps, is like a large family, each member looks out for each other, and would gladly die for them." Hannah said. "I call myself a former Marine, but that's not entirely true, for in the Corps, we believe, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine." Hannah looked at the Vulcan a moment. "Also, your tone was a little accusatory, Ma'am."
"Accusatory?" T'Lul asked, while she raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you could explain that to me. I only intended to be inquisitive and had no intention of interrogation."
"Maybe, it's just me, to which your Vulcan tone sounds accusatory, my mother's people originated on Vulcan, but they don't suppress their emotions with stoicism as you do, plus, I grew up around humans' and didn't interact much with Vulcans, until I joined the Corps." Hannah said.
"I see," T'Lul answered thoughtfully. "I will try to interject some of my learned tonalities, if that could help." She mused audibly for a moment. "Perhaps increased exposure to me would assist your understandings, as well?"
"Are you asking me out?" Hannah asked raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Asking you out?" T'Lul asked herself. "IF you mean as a date, I must answer in the negative. However, I know little about you, am curious about you, and I do not see a record of your psychological fitness entrance exam having been completed."
"What would you like to know?" Hannah asked.
"You stated that you were a marine first and then transferred into Starfleet. Why did you choose to do that? And why engineering?"
"In the Corps, I was trained and worked as a combat engineer." Hannah said. "My father was a Marine and my older brother, Owen and I joined the Corps out of high school. I enjoyed my time as a Marine, but lost a lot of good friends at the hands of our enemies. The death of Owen in battle, broke me and I resigned my commission and returned home to grieve." she sighed. "Since, everything at home, reminded me of my dead brother, I travelled to Earth and since my previous CO had filed my absence as bereavement leave, I was allowed to keep my current rating when I transferred to Starfleet."
That seemed a bit unusual to T'Lul but she did not question it. "I am sorry to hear of your brother's death. Have you had counseling regarding it?"
"Thank you." Hannah said. "As for counseling, I took the mandatory sessions and completed my psychological fitness entrance exam." "Since you can't find it, it must have been lost during my transfer. I you like, you could conduct one on me."
"Were the mandatory sessions helpful? Do you feel the need for more?" T'Lul asked, slipping an intonation in for concern.
"Yes, but it doesn't take away the pain." Hannah said. "I often catch myself wondering how he is, before remembering, he's dead."
"Perhaps we should make some more time to talk about that. However, this is not the place or time. I do believe that you should keep focused on your work at present."
"Of course, I'll let you know when I'm done here." Hannah said. "If you'll excuse me?"
"Very well. Live long and prosper, Lieutenant Reeves," T'Lul told Hannah while giving the traditional Vulcan hand signal.
"And to you, Lieutenant." Hannah replied turning back to her work. "Crewman Milant, that cable is supposed to be behind that bulkhead, not trailing across the deck, are you trying to cause an accident?" She called to one of the engineers.
T'mpest walked into the cargo bay and looked around. She'd never attended a Marine Corps Ball, but she had helped with a number of parties when she was working as an archaeologist, and, while the details were different, a party was a party. Plus, as it was on the station, she felt responsible for seeing it went well.
Velez was in the bay wrapping up the latest practice and was putting his sword in its bag as when he saw the Commodore and move to see if anything he could help her with.
"Afternoon Commodore. Come to see how things are coming together?"
"Yes. And to see if I can be of assistance or if you need anything from the station." With the number of people invited, there would be a lot of details that needed to be taken care of over the next few days.
"Thank you for the offer Ma'am but I think things are pretty well covered...this isn't exactly our first time at this. To be honest it's pretty routine actually. The only thing really in the air is...will someone lock their legs and fall into the cake or will some knuckle dra...heads will get drunk and start a fight."
"Indeed. My primary concern is to ensure the facilities meet your needs, but it does look like you have everything well in hand." She gave him a half-bow. "And now that I have your assurance in that regard, I will have a quick look around and leave you to your work."
While T'mpest knew little about the Marine Corps Ball itself, she was responsible for the station and the cargo bays and wanted to do her due diligence and check that there was nothing they needed. And now that she had, she could move on to something else on her list of things to do.
(To be continued...)
Colonel Nicholas Means III
21st MEU Commanding Officer
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant T'Lul
Chief Counselor
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant JG Hannah Reeves
Assistant Chief Engineer
Deep Space 5
Mendez
Engineering NPC
Deep Space 5
K'Zal
Engineering NPC
Deep Space 5
Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5
Sergeant Major Arcenio Velez
Senior Staff NCO
Deep Space 5
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