Arrival
Posted on 2025, Tue Sep 2nd, @ 12:55am by Lieutenant Jep Fallo & Lieutenant Bill Meeeeeeehehehheheeheh & Vice Admiral Jack Reacher Jr & Rear Admiral Selar Vance & Commodore Travis O'Rourke & Commander T'lara Parton & Commander Cormac Situs & Lieutenant Commander Marcus Varen & Lieutenant Delphis & Fleet Captain Dean House & Gunnery Sergeant Janet Bruke III & Petty Officer 1st Class Olivia Ponton
1,413 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 "Demons of the Past, Friends of the Future" - USS Halo
Location: Star Base 113 ----> Romulan Dig Site Planet
Timeline: 2 Days After Mission Brief ------> Days After Leaving SB113
Everyone was busy getting the ship ready and was at their respective stations when Admiral Reacher entered the bridge.
"At ease, everyone. Shall we get the ball rolling?" Reacher said as he took a seat in the center chair, there were three seats on the bridge: the center chair for the Captain, to the left was Reacher's Chair, and to the right was the XO's. However, today, the Center chair was Reacher's.
"Lt. Fallo, get us clearance to leave Star Base, And Disengage all Moorings," Reacher ordered.
"Aye, Captain, receiving clearance. Moorings disengaged." The burly helmsman swiftly ran his hands over the sleek new console. He had only been assigned here temporarily, but at this point, he had as much experience as anyone, since it was a new ship for everyone. It even had that 'new ship's smell.
"Comms, open the Channel to the Valiant Horizon and Leonidas" Jack ordered. As soon as it opened, he started.
"Horizon and Leonidas, Time we get going, meet at your assigned stand by positions once on arrival, transmit your signal that you have arrived, Halo Out."
Once they cleared space dock, it was go time. "Fallo, Warp 8, Let's Go"
"Going now, sir," Fallo said with the hint of a smile.
After going to Warp 8, Reacher stood and walked around the bridge. "Departments Report"
"Flight control is good, sir," Fallo said perfunctorily.
The ship left the spacedock behind almost as fast as the fleet was pumping new ships out. The console was sleek but lacked the charm of the original Halo's. Situs hoped that with any luck he would be at the lab sooner rather than later. A distinct feeling of deja-vu.
"Astrometrics reporting normal." Though at this point, normal is starting to look suspiciously familiar.
"Departments Report," Jack ordered over the Comms from the Bridge.
Marcus Varen’s voice carried across the cavernous heart of the ship, cutting through the hum of the warp plasma regulators and the chatter of his teams. He tapped his commbadge in response to Admiral Reacher’s call.
“Engineering here, Admiral. All systems report green across the board. Warp core is stable, EPS grid is balanced, and slipstream drive is standing by for integration when ordered. Structural integrity fields are holding at one hundred percent, and shield harmonics are tuned for departure.”
He glanced at the sprawling holo-display showing a schematic of the Halo’s trinary core system, its new diagnostic overlays running smooth as silk—a relief after the last two weeks of debugging.
“We’re ready for sustained warp eight, Admiral. If you want to push harder, I’d recommend a systems check at nine-point-two before we test her limits. Engineering stands ready.”
He muted the channel briefly, turning to his senior teams clustered at their stations.
“Keep a close eye on the tertiary couplings during warp acceleration. This is her first real stretch outside dock—we don’t want any surprises.”
He reopened the comm.
Varen: “Halo’s engines are yours, sir. We’re good to fly.”
Bruke was busy in the Figther Command checking out all the New gear and shit they had to play with. "Major, it seems we have more room for shit to blow stuff up with."
"Horizon and Leonidas, Time we get going, meet at your assigned stand by positions once on arrival, transmit your signal that you have arrived, Halo Out."
The comm channel from the Halo crackled for only a second before Commodore Travis O’Rourke leaned forward in the command chair, his hands folded calmly across his knee. His blue eyes tracked the stars streaking across the main viewer, and when he spoke, his voice carried the same weight it always did—measured, firm, and undeniably commanding.
“Acknowledged, Admiral. The Leonidas is prepped and underway. We’ll rendezvous at the standby coordinates and transmit confirmation on arrival. My crew is sharp and ready.”
He cut a glance toward Commander Rysell at his side, then back to the forward displays.
“We’ll keep station until further orders. See you at the mark. Leonidas out.”
With that, he motioned to the flight officer.
“Bring us about, steady as she goes. Let’s not keep the Admiral waiting.”
As the comm channel to the Halo closed, Commodore O’Rourke leaned back in his chair with his usual calm authority. Without missing a beat, Commander Arden Rysell shifted slightly forward in her seat to the Commodore’s right. Her tone was crisp and businesslike, no hesitation, no wasted words.
Rysell: “All departments, report in. Flight, Ops, Tactical, Engineering, Science, Medical—status across the board. Let’s hear it.”
Her eyes swept the bridge deliberately, pausing on each station in turn. She gave a small nod toward Lt. T’Vera Rahl at the helm, then toward Lt. Cmdr. Corin Taves at Tactical, her expression making it clear this was routine but expected to be handled with precision.
Rysell (firmly): “We’re not just keeping pace—we’re setting the standard. I want clean reports and no surprises.”
The hum of the bridge seemed to sharpen under her words. Officers straightened in their chairs, hands flying confidently over their consoles as each prepared to respond in sequence.
The responses came quickly and clean, each voice over the intercom steady and precise.
Ops: “No anomalies detected, Commander. Power distribution balanced and running nominal.”
Engineering: “Warp sis systems are stable and sustain a nominal velocity. Impulse drive responding at peak efficiency.”
Tactical: “Weapons and defensive systems online, all calibrations checked and verified.”
From helm, Lt. T’Vera Rahl turned slightly in her seat, her Orion features calm but focused.
Rahl: “Flight systems are optimal. We’ll hold formation with Halo and Horizon without drift.”
A final chime from Medical closed the loop:
Medical: “Sickbay reports no issues. Staff and facilities are ready.”
The reports ended as quickly as they began, a chain of confidence moving across the ship. Commander Rysell gave a single, sharp nod, turning back toward Commodore O’Rourke.
Rysell: “All departments report green, Commodore. The Leo's ready.”
Time Jump - 3 Days Later
Dean had taken time to check on something before stepping out onto the Bridge of the Halo. Stopping to watch things go on, clasping his hands behind him at the small of his back.
The bridge was alive with energy, over a dozen people were currently in the large new bridge. It was designed to accommodate up to 15 if each console and station was manned. With a few thousand crew aboard the ship was essentially a mobile starbase. They were about 2 days out from arriving at the Zeltras system. Everyone was getting to know the ship, and putting her through her paces. The science officers with historical specialities were especially excited.
Commodore Travis O’Rourke stood with one hand resting on the back of the center chair, watching the stars streak by on the main viewer. The hum of the warp engines was a steady undercurrent, and the bridge crew moved with a smooth, well-practiced rhythm—three days into this joint deployment, the Leonidas felt like she was finally stretching her legs again.
O’Rourke: “Three days in, and we’re still green across the board. I like it. Rysell, make sure the departments keep up the pace—this crew needs to be as sharp on day ten as they are today.”
He glanced toward the forward stations, his tone still even but carrying the weight of expectation.
O’Rourke (continuing): “Once we hit Zeltras, we’ll be under more eyes than ours. I want the Leonidas looking and performing like she’s the tip of the spear—because she is.”
With that, he moved to the command chair and sat, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he looked out into the warp tunnel ahead.
O’Rourke: “Helm, keep us tight on Halo’s wake. Ops, run another diagnostic sweep—no room for drift before arrival.”
The bridge crew acknowledged, their responses crisp. The Commodore settled in, content for the moment but ready for whatever awaited them in the Zeltras system.
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