[USS Vanguard] Fwd: RPG: Look Back, Face Forward
- From: "Andy W. Ho" <andywoho@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: kdarkwater@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:02:16 -0700 (PDT)
Steven,
Here's the post you didn't receive. BTW, I get a report from Freelists
every time someone's mailbox bounces out a message. Your Hotmail
account was on the list for the report on my lastest post.
If your in-box was overfilled, that's one possible cause. If not, then
please tell me so that I can look into any continuing problems with
Freelists. After a year, they've been pretty good to us, but I want to
stay vigilant.
It's been a while since I've been to the Vanguard archives at
Freelists. For your information, you can find them here:
//www.freelists.org/archives/ncv80221/ Don't take that as a
chastise for not looking it up; I'm just throwing the address out
there, for my curiosity if not for anyone else's.
Hope that helps. Looking forward to your next post.
:-),
Andy
--- "Andy W. Ho" <andywoho@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 22:34:28 -0700 (PDT)
> From: "Andy W. Ho" <andywoho@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [USS Vanguard] RPG: Look Back, Face Forward
> To: USS-Vanguard <ncv80221@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
> Fleet Captain Dominic Santos
> USS Vanguard
> Shortly following Mack's "Realization"
>
> Some parties are legendary across the galaxy. The Bolian New Year
> Celebration lasts six weeks. The Ferengi Anniversary of the Unified
> Monetary System is renowned for its debauchery and revelry. Even
> Vulcans know to stay away from North America during Earth Day
> celebrations.
>
> But the Vanguard's officers and crew under Fleet Captain Dominic
> Santos's return to the helm gave them all a run for their money.
>
> It was their first night back on the ship, and it was the banquet to
> end all banquets. It was scheduled for 1800, but started around 1600.
> Santos turned a blind eye to crew members who snuck off duty to get
> together before the banquet and prepare for what looked to be an
> all-night affair.
>
> Desdemona reopened the Event Horizon to much fanfare, offering an
> open
> bar and a feast that rivaled and surpassed the first she ever served
> on
> Vanguard. (Of course, she kept a running tab on the liquor. Her
> mother,
> after all, did not raise a fool.)
>
> At 2100, hours later than expected, Dominic Santos rose to the
> podium.
> He smiled at the gathered officers and waited for them to quiet.
>
> Suddenly, much against his expectations, the crowd turned and a wave
> of
> noise engulfed Santos.
>
> Someone (it may have been Sam McCaw) started the chant: "Vanguard,
> Van-guard, VAN-GUARD!" until it rose to a mighty crescendo, and like
> a
> wave of noise, broke against Santos. Catcalls and wolf whistles
> accompanied the cheering.
>
> Santos spread his arms wide. "Welcome back!" he exclaimed to further
> cheering. "And thank you!"
>
> "I'll make this brief because I don't think you're following too well
> right now--" Much laughter at this. "I'd like you to join me and
> welcome Lieutenant Roch Chase. Where is our intrepid new security
> officer?"
>
> There was a commotion in back as Chase was passed from officer to
> officer until he was presented at the front of the lounge. Desdemona,
> leaning forward on her bar, watched quietly and rolled her eyes with
> a
> smile.
>
> "Here he is! Let's welcome him, and give him a hand for his
> bravery...or his lack of judgment!" Applaud they did.
>
> "And now, may I present to you, our one, our only, promotion tonight.
> Our candidate is quite the crewman. An exceptional officer, a loyal
> friend, a brave soldier, and a generous human being, his time's long
> in
> coming.
>
> "Cynan Mandrake, step forward." He did, with some surprise.
>
> "Lieutenant Junior Grade Cynan Mandrake, for duty above and beyond to
> this ship and her crew, I present to you the rank of 'lieutenant,'
> with
> all rights and privileges thereof. Take a bow, Mister!"
>
> [Mark, would you like to say a few words?]
>
> "Before I finish, I want to thank you all for being here, and most of
> all, for believing in this ship and each other. We're taking a second
> chance with this; let's make it worthwhile. I'm sure you'll join me
> and
> make it so. Thank you."
>
> Santos stepped off the podium, and Desdemona handed him a towel.
>
> "Quite a performance, boss. Wipe your brow," she said with a smirk.
> "Want a drink?"
>
> "The usual," Santos replied.
>
> Desdemona turned to the bar silently and turned back with a tumbler
> filled with an amber-colored liquor. She handed it to him and watched
> as he drained it.
>
> "You know, I've been meaning to talk with you about that."
>
> "What's that?" Santos said, one eye on her, the other scanning the
> room.
>
> "That," she said, pointing at the glass. "I can understand that when
> you were on Brigadoon. Hell, I've heard Starfleet *expects* a little
> vice in its station commanders. Supposed to keep them sane spending
> all
> that time in one place."
>
> Santos stiffened noticeably, as he usually did when confronted with
> personal criticism. It was one of his few failings.
>
> "Your point?" he asked, a bit chillingly.
>
> "My point is, there's an old saying on El-Aura: 'Only Hazelwood could
> pilot the Exxon Valdez.'"
>
> "What the hell does that mean?" Santos asked, relaxing slightly.
> Desdemona breathed a silent sigh of relief to see the change in the
> captain.
>
> "My point is--well, take it easy. I'd hate to see you lose a position
> you worked so hard to regain to something as trivial as this. That's
> all. Consider it a bit of fluff from a friend."
>
> "Point taken and filed, Des. Thanks."
>
> Santos turned...
>
> ...and came face-to-face with someone he least expected to see.
>
> Admiral Vanier Kung-Lao Lee strolled toward him, with Santos's (and
> Lee's former) executive officer, Soman Drath, at his side, smiling
> fit
> to bust.
>
> "Admiral!" Santos exclaimed warmly.
>
> "Nick." Lee nodded at him. "Quite a shindig you have going here."
>
> "I'm glad you could make it. I'm not sure I expected you. I haven't
> seen you since Kristen's memorial service. And you didn't seem eager
> to..."
>
> [Note: Lt. Kristen Stark was executive officer aboard USS Astoria,
> the
> former incarnation of this simulation, and Capt. Vanier Kung-Lao
> Lee's
> first officer.]
>
> "Yes, well, I'm here because you seem to have misplaced someone," Lee
> said curtly, cutting off Santos's recollection of Stark. Santos
> caught
> it immediately and tried to change tack.
>
> "Mister Soman, back at last," Santos directed his comments at Drath.
>
> Soman scratched the back of his head absent-mindedly, standing
> between
> his former and current commanders.
>
> "I'll tell you sometime about my adventures, sir," Soman said.
>
> "I'm eager to hear it," Santos said, smiling.
>
> Soman detected a hint of strain between the two men and stood
> uncomfortably. Starfleet training or no, diplomacy was never his
> strong
> point, reaching back as far as his days at the Academy. His Bajoran
> upbringing fought him every time he tried to be circular in his
> statements. This from a culture that prized directness.
>
> "I see Zena. I think I ought to catch up. If you'll excuse me, er,
> sirs."
>
> "As you were," Santos said, the same moment that Lee said, "Carry
> on."
>
> They smiled at one another again.
>
> It was Lee who broke the silence. "Quite a ship."
>
> "Quite a crew," Santos replied. "Thanks to your guidance."
>
> "I did my best," Lee said with a shrug. "I see some faces I've never
> seen before. And a few others are absent."
>
> Santos shrugged. Lee had a way of making him...uncomfortable.
>
> Just then, they turned to see She'ra Khan bump into some crewmen as
> she
> walked quickly out of the lounge.
>
> They saw Roch Chase glance quickly at Mandrake then follow She'ra.
> Mandrake stood still as a statue.
>
> "If you'll excuse me, sir..." Santos said.
>
> "Of course," Lee said, then: "Nick, we need to talk. Soon."
>
> Santos nodded at him and departed.
>
> He approached the one member of his crew who seemed to have the pulse
> of everyone on-board.
>
> "What was that about?" he asked Doctor Xristha Droin. The doctor and
> head of the Vanguard's Medical Department stood with Doctor Jaav
> E'thexx, the Vanguard's counselor.
>
> "Don't look now, Nick, but I think we have another triangle forming."
>
> "Acute or isosceles?" Santos asked.
>
> "More like illogical," E'thexx replied.
>
> Santos chuckled under his breath. "What do we do?"
>
> "What, you're asking me?" Droin answered. "Aren't you the expert on
> matters to do with the female heart?" She grinned and E'thexx
> laughed.
> There was something...different about Jaav that Santos couldn't quite
> place his finger on. Was it the new symbiont?
>
> "Far from it, Doctors," Santos replied, running his fingers through
> his
> hair.
>
> "Seriously, though," Droin said, "I'd just leave it be for now. These
> things have ways of working themselves out."
>
> "Very well," Santos said, turning to leave. He turned briskly and
> yelled over the crowd: "But if things go badly in command, medical,
> or
> security, I'm placing the blame squarely on you!"
>
> Droin raised a glass to him and smiled a tight smile at her captain,
> nodding at his humor.
>
> Santos caught Denville D'Angelo and Highwaij at the bar.
>
> "Gentlemen," he nodded.
>
> They raised their glasses and said hello, returning to their
> conversation.
>
> That was what he liked about those two, Santos mused. They didn't
> stand
> on ceremony. Refreshing to see career officers who didn't parrot the
> crowd.
>
> At the buffet, Santos next encountered Zena Quetan, in an
> uncharacteristically quiet mood.
>
> "Penny for your thoughts, lieutenant?" Santos asked.
>
> Quetan smiled back, looking up from a tray of fried scallops.
>
> "They're not worth that much, trust me."
>
> "Try me," Santos said. "Mmm, the shrimp's pretty good."
>
> "I know. I tried it. I have to admit, the fare's better than when I
> used to plan these things," Quetan said.
>
> "So what's weighing your soul so heavily?" Santos said.
>
> "It's nothing," Quetan said. "Well, okay--it's this thing with the
> Trill Commission. It keeps coming back to haunt me. I just wonder
> when
> it's going to be over. This time, we almost lost someone, and we've
> changed Jaav, probably irrevocably."
>
> "I don't know," Santos said, after a moment. "Jaav's a grown man.
> He's
> handling himself very well. As for the Trill Commission, if they're
> your worry, they're my worry. We'll get around to them."
>
> "Thanks," Quetan smiled. "That means a lot to me right now."
>
> "You're welcome," Santos said, touching her shoulder briefly. "Enjoy
> the party. There's a saying on Earth: 'Tomorrow's another day.'"
>
> "That's circular logic," Quetan said with a frown.
>
> "No one ever said Terrans were logical," Santos said. "Especially not
> the Vulcans."
>
> As Quetan started to laugh, Santos spotted someone across the room.
> "Excuse me."
>
> Sam McCaw and Qbed stood quietly to one side.
>
> "Party's this way," Santos said.
>
> Qbed grinned weakly at him and said: "I feel poorly. Excuse me."
>
> After she left, Santos looked at McCaw for an answer.
>
> "She's still just not the same," McCaw said. "I'd give anything if
> the
> Q Continuum would just give it all back to her."
>
> "Things have a funny way of working out," Santos said.
>
> "Is this your night for cliches, or are you just making your rounds?"
> he asked.
>
> Santos was taken aback, never having known McCaw to be rude.
>
> McCaw caught himself and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've been under
> a
> lot of strain."
>
> "It's understandable. Why don't you go see how Qbed is doing?"
>
> Santos stared after Sam as he left. The crew, his crew, were being
> challenged, but he had no doubt they would respond.
>
> Then, Dominic Santos's world came crashing down.
>
> "Captain, excuse me, I have someone here who insisted on seeing you
> right away."
>
> It was Talik [NPC]. Along with Chad Rea [NPC], they were the only two
> officers assigned to him during his stay on Brigadoon who followed
> him
> back to the Vanguard.
>
> Dominic Santos turned around and came face-to-face with someone he
> had
> both hoped and dreaded to see again.
>
> In the outfit of the Federation Office of Diplomacy and Outreach she
> represented, stood Elizabeth Merchant, formerly "Liza" Santos.
>
> OoC: We're back!
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! News - Today's headlines
> http://news.yahoo.com
> **********************************************************
> USS Vanguard: http://vanguard.iwarp.com
> Gamma Fleet: http://www.gammafleet.org.uk
> _Free_Lists: //www.freelists.org
> **********************************************************
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo!
http://sbc.yahoo.com
**********************************************************
USS Vanguard: http://vanguard.iwarp.com
Gamma Fleet: http://www.gammafleet.org.uk
_Free_Lists: //www.freelists.org
**********************************************************
Other related posts:
- » [USS Vanguard] Fwd: RPG: Look Back, Face Forward
