Getting Ready for Dinner

Posted on Fri Jul 29th, 2011 @ 11:47am by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Provisional Lieutenant Commander Narayn Ballard & Lieutenant JG Mykel Owen & Lieutenant JG Dylan Tyler & Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jones & Ensign Evelyn Sol
Edited on on Fri Aug 5th, 2011 @ 4:38pm

Mission: Kingdom Come
Location: USS Endeavour - Transporter Room
Timeline: MD09 1955hrs

Benjamin and his officers had transported briefly back to the Endeavour during the afternoon - now free to use the transporter systems since their state welcome by shuttle convoy had passed for the public eye - in order to see to their affairs aboard-ship and to get into their dress uniforms for the state dinner that evening, before beaming back down together for the dinner itself.

As Ben walked into the transporter room, the majority of the senior staff were already there, milling about, checking each other's uniforms, and chatting about the day. For many of the younger officers, it would likely be their first time at such an elaborate and politically significant event, and Ben couldn't help but smile slightly at the sense of trepidation many of them must likely be having right now.

Grintol and Arthur had both elected to return to the planet's surface ahead of the ship's team. Benjamin didn't know the reasons why; he had opted to leave the two diplomats to their own devices, free to come and go aboard the ship as they pleased around conducting their business with the Nevarrans. They were here to discuss and conclude the trade agreements that were the core of their visit here, but Ben hoped that he and his crew - thus far being only observers - would be able to turn this trip into a vast science expedition for themselves; there was certainly plenty to discover and explore, for all fields of interest onboard.

"How you feeling, Commander?" Benjamin asked, as he approached his first officer. Whilst Ben stood out from the others by the pure white central section of his uniform as opposed to the grey of the rest of the staff's, Narayn looked out of place for two reasons; for one, his provisional rank insignia was larger than any of the single pips a full commissioned officer wore, and stood out much more clearly on the dress uniform than on his duty uniform, but secondly - and more significantly - because he looked so uncomfortable in the white jacket of an officer. Benjamin knew that this would be the man's first time in dress uniform since he had elevated him from his NCO status, but he felt the sight quietly amusing, non-the-less.

"Uncomfortable." Ballard replied. Uncomfortable was the understatement of the century, in actual fact. He felt so out of place with the big golden lozenge on his collar that he wanted to go back to the good old days. The days where everyone called him chief and the only interaction he would have had with the Ambassadors was to write up reports on them for the Captain. This was too much, too soon. He grabbed at the collar and tugged it free from his neck. It snapped back into position almost immediately. Great, he thought, I'll end up choking to death before we get to the fish course.

Byrne chuckled at the man's response. "Don't worry commander, it will soon become more familiar to you," he said, before letting a mischievous smirk creep onto his face. "Though it will always be just as uncomfortable."

Mykel looked up at the Captains arrival, and nodded in greeting, while finishing looking over Ensign Turok's report from the bridge, making sure everything was still running smoothly up there.

This wasn't the first diplomatic dinner Evelyn had attended, but it was the first as a ships counselor and not daughter of the visiting ambassador. Her nerves were on edge, though she hid it with a look of classic Vulcan calm. As her gaze fell over her crew mates she wondered to herself how many others were apart of their first diplomatic mission and if they were as nervous as she. This is why you got reassigned to a ship, to explore new worlds. Calm down Evelyn what a terrible Vulcan you make, she chided herself wryly.

Dylan had taken quite a bit of time in preparing himself for this event. The last time he had been to a formal affair, it had been his Academy Graduation where he received his honors. He looked at his dress uniform at all of the commendations that he had earned and smirked. Every award he had one, and not a single one of them was going to help him with this. The words of his mother came back to him whenever he was arguing with her about going to some kind of social gathering due to his awkwardness around civilized party socials. "Just take someone who can be charming enough for the both of you," his mother had said. And then, it occurred to him that there might be someone on board this ship who there would be no emotional attachment yet at the same time, she would be as charming as a rose amongst thorns.

Dylan made his way to the transporter room, after checking with his assistant tactical officer to make sure all was well. Finally, he saw the woman who might help him get through this night without causing an intergalactic incident.

"Counselor, you look a vision this evening. Before we depart, may I have a brief moment of your time?" Dylan asked gesturing towards a less crowded part of the transporter room.

"Of course Lieutenant." she allowed herself to be lead to the empty corner of the room. Evelyn liked Dylan despite their rocky start, but she was a little surprised that he asked to talk to her.

"Counselor, I was wondering if you had an escort for this affair. I understand that the Captain will be bringing his wife and I am not sure if the First Officer has asked for an escort, but...well, you tell me. How do you think I would fare to my own devices in a political party where countless lives are at stake based upon all of us behaving like friends in a formal setting rather than a paranoid security officer drawing his phaser at every odd noise he heard?" Dylan asked the counselor with a grin. He really hoped he was exagerating his own paranoia, but a part of him thought he may have been very accurate.

Evelyn suppressed a grin. There was a good chance that the tactical officer wasn't exaggerating at all, but she really didn't need the excuse to accept his offer. He might be a bit bristly on the outside but she enjoyed his company. His direct nature appealed to her Vulcan sensibilities.

"I would be honored to accompany you Lieutenant. These things are always easier in pairs." she smiled warmly.

Dylan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," as he extended his arm to her.

There were many things that Liz felt comfortable with; wearing her dress uniform was not among them. She has spent an hour getting ready in her quarters, trying to make the damn dress uniform sit right. Rebuild a warp core, no problem, put on fancy clothes however was.

Having made it out of her quarters she proceeded to the transporter room taking glances at herself on the shiny surfaces of the ship. She had almost made it when one of her engineers ran out of the turbolift towards her "Lieutenant, I am glad to run into you, the gravity plating on this deck is still acting up"

Begrudging the young engineer she followed him, fixed the problem and only managed to discolor the knee's on the dress pants. Running back to the transporter room she burst in seeing the rest of the officers there. Once the door closed behind her she noticed the torc sensor in the pocket of her uniform fancy dinner, and you bring an engineering tool.

Ballard raised an eyebrow towards the corner of the room where the counselor and the tactical officer stood. He glanced to the Captain and cracked a rye smile. "I wonder what they're talking about."

Benjamin mirrored his exec's smile. "Whatever it is, I'm sure they can discuss it over dinner," he said. To the two younger officers, he raised his voice slightly to be heard. "Lieutenant, Counsellor, we're on a timetable, and we don't want to be late." As he finished, he watched the two move onto the transporter pad with the others.

"Right then, let's get this thing started, shall we?" Benjamin said, as he moved to take his own place on the transporter pad. As the rest of the officers joined him, he looked towards the transporter operator. "Energise."

----------------
Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer

Lt. Commander Narayn Ballard (Prov.)
Executive Officer

Lieutenant JG Mykel Owen
Chief Flight Control Officer

Lieutenant JG Dylan Tyler
Chief of Security

Ensign Evelyn Sol
Chief Counsellor

Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jones
Chief Engineer
USS Endeavour NCC-86105