Commander’s Ready Room

As the door split apart to reveal the room before him, his eyes began to scan around. To take in what was there, to gage at what the previous commander was like. As Saren stepped into the room with Orex behind him, he saw a few pieces of portraits on the wall. A couple of them were nebulas, both different colors and shapes to each other. In fact he recognized them, the Haakon Cloud and the Velorum Nebula. The third picture was an aerial view of the former Capital on Romulus. This told him that the former commander was able to see the beauty in nothing but giant clouds of dust and gas; and that they were either homesick or keeping a reminder of what was lost or both. There was more in the room, a couple stands with statues from their ancient culture but he knew that his subcommander wanted to make a point.

As soon as Saren heard the door close behind her, he knew that they can speak more privately. “You wish to question my decision further, Subcommander?” Saren asked as he picked up one of the statues to examine it before he turned in place to face her and looked at her. “I will hold no consequences, so be as blunt as you’d like to be.”

Herrana took a moment to observe the ready room of their new Valdore. It was an odd experience, like stepping into a house in which you once lived, and only see the furniture of the new tenant. 

She’d personally preferred decorating her Scorah’s ready room with model Warbirds over space paintings, but to each their own.

“I apologize for questioning you in front of the crew,” she acquiesced, turning her attention to Saren. “But I stand by what I said. I flew Warbirds like this, and I know when one isn’t mission-capable. In all honesty, I wouldn’t even want to fly it home; I’d much prefer just requesting a tow.”

Was not at all expecting an apology but the rest, he anticipated. “Questioning me in front of the crew and your experience is what I had planned.” He told her as he turned to set the statue back down on its pedestal before he went over to the desk. “I know this warbird requires so much more than what we have right now in order for it to be operational. I know answering a call for help is risky at best. Perhaps I am just taking my luck a little too far.” He then leaned over the terminal and began to access some files on the former commander.

Herrana narrowed her gaze, unsure of what the Commander was playing at. Was he agreeing with her, and prompting her to continue voicing her reluctance? Was he testing her obedience? Or perhaps just thinking aloud?

“Well, however far you would like to press your luck, it is my duty to facilitate it,” she said, opting for a more conciliatory attitude. “Should you decide to continue down this path, I stand ready to perform as ordered.”

Perhaps Saren will have to give her the details later, as he has been surprised yet again by her choice of words. He was about to continue when he began to hear something above them. “Odd.”

Thisbe was IN the panels. Well, technically, she was in the crawlspaces ABOVE the panels but her goal was to do some internal investigation of the old systems. Romulan tech wasn’t her wheelhouse, but it wasn’t a lot different than pre-war Cardassian tech and THAT she did know. The sensors were beeping and whirring with noise and lights, indicating that, so far, she was good. She was sending this all back to N’vek-who didn’t actually know she was in the walls just yet-but she hoped he would see it soon. She was a self-starter, but she was also bored to death and had already finished the novel she’d started the day before. Wandering the old boat was also boring-she knew it already. So her next best idea was THIS. Suddenly, the wood beneath her gave away, and she landed with a thud on the table in the Ready room. “Ouch,” she said softly, but hit her comms badge. “Uh, I need some help in here…” She hadn’t opened her eyes yet to see the Commander and XO there already. She sat up gingerly. “OOPS. I guess we should fix that hole.” How embarrassing was THAT?”

Saren raised a brow at the whole orthodox. “Quite.” He said, to answer her question.

Herrana had let out a quick shriek when Thisbe had crashed through the ceiling, but after composing herself, she quickly approached the young Ulhan and helped her up. 

“Are you injured, crewman?” she inquired, hoping that their already-shortstaffed operation wouldn’t fin itself further undermanned. 

While Orex was helping Thisbe, Saren frowned at what was between her and the table. Wood? “Unless I am mistaken, or that is a vent cover for a maintenance tunnel made out of wood. Did the Empire fall back to the stone age without us knowing?” Saren asked with a smirk.

Thisbe shook her head and stood up. Nothing was broken except her pride. “I think I am ok. Sorry, sir, ma’am, for the interruption. The interior wiring is good, at least.” She bit her bottom lip; it was so dumb. She was going to be in a LOT of trouble when N’vek heard about this. “I believe so? I’ll take a look at it, but we can update the materials. I should be able to have it fixed by this afternoon. If it’s anything like Cardassian boats, it was made up of whatever could be scavenged in a battle for repairs until you could return to the planet.” She didn’t share much about herself, but her father had shared such stories with his friends. “I’ll just..go now.” She could feel herself starting to redden in the cheeks. With any luck, the Romulans she worked with wouldn’t catch that part, though. Damn Bajoran genes! 

Bridge

After six hours in the ready room briefing room, coming up with a solid report to send to the admiralty rather than contact them and brief them on the situation, Saren made his way back to the bridge to check on the status of his team. His first pick was Isha at the helm. “What’s our ETA?” Saren asked.

Isha checked her instruments before she looked at Saren. “Five hours and twenty minutes.”

Saren looked at Parau. “Keeping busy, doctor?”

“Depends what you refer as being busy with?” Hakuna looked up from her console to the Commander. 

“Just making sure you’re not sitting there doing nothing, doctor.” He winked. Was merely a joke anyway.

Saren looked around for a bit and smirked. “You know, now that this ship is the property of the Romulan Republic, we need a name for it. Ideas, anyone?”

Herrana put her hands on her hips and looked around the small collection of officers. She knew that suggesting a name was about as far from her duty as could be, given her personal history, and as such chose to keep quiet.

“I am not the greatest to remembering names, let alone making them up” Hakona admitted as she saw patients daily basis that it didn’t really matter to remember those that were involved of her care. Most of them just wanted to get a free drug to distract their minds anyway. 

Saren smiled as he went to an empty station and started to pull up some records. He had an idea but wanted to run by it with everyone. But first.

“How are the modifications coming along, N’Vek?” Saren asked. “Also, any ideas on what we should name the ship?”

Taval looked up and lifted a brow, “They are coming along adequetely. If we had more engineers, I could have swift work of the endeavout. He sighed almost theatrically, ”An Engineer could dream.” He gave a moments thought to the question, his response a bit terse at first, “Anything but ‘Rideare’. I would prefer not to be reminded of previous postings. I have no ideas other than that.”

Saren clapped his hands together. “Well, if no one can come up with a name, there is one that I have been thinking about. It deals with an Admiral that the former Empire had deemed a traitor. But after all the events we’ve witnessed, heard of, or have been informed of, I feel that he is much more of a patriot and maybe a martyr than a traitor.” Saren paused for a moment then he continued. “I’m going to recommend to Naval Command to rechristening the ship from its current Imperial name to a name that I believe will be fitting to the Republic Navy. If they accept, this warbird will from now on be called Jarok.”

N’Vek folded his arms and gave that some thought before he nodded, “It rolls off the tongue nicely, I like it.”

“Jarok…” Herrana mused, a slight smile spreading across her lips. “Back in the old days, everyone in the Navy hated him. I suppose the details of his ‘treason’ are rather fitting with the current goals of the Republic… so, I suppose it’s got my vote.”

Thisbe, hiding her best from her supervisor, had been in the makeshift area she called the office, and had replicated/smelted/procured some materials. Soon, a sufficient fix for the ceiling tile she’d broken was finished, and she’d welded it herself to the ceiling from inside, so it wouldn’t happen again. She came around the corner just in time to hear the rest of the crew discussing names. “I like Jarok. It sound appropriately Romulan to me.” She shrugged. So long as they didn’t name it anything Kardasi sounding, she didn’t care, they could call it the RR Peanut Butter. 

Saren smiled. “Then it is settled. I will inform Naval Command of our decision. Hopefully, they will approve.” He smirked.