13:40 Hours - September 9 - 2194
The heels of her dress uniform clacked lightly against the deck plates as Dai hurried through the corridor. Workers nodded and greeted her as she passed, crew personnel quickly slid to the side to let her pass. The Captain returned workers' greetings, and made a point to acknowledge each member of the crew, few and far between though they currently were. As she neared the bridge, there were more crew than workers, and by the time she passed through the archway onto her command deck, she was surrounded entirely by the fresh-faced young crew of her new dreadnaught.
Around her, activity was the watchword of the day as the command deck veritably buzzed with enlisted personnel busy with the task of getting a brand new dreadnaught up to launch status. Men and women at their stations worked swiftly, communicating with each other and with personnel in other sections of the ship as they organized their activities. Each station was taking the time and putting all their energy into finalizing preparations for launch in just a few short days.
"Captain on deck!" Called a nearby young officer.
"As you were," Dai replied, letting everyone get back to what they were doing. She took a moment to stand and gaze around the command deck, taking everything in. Navigation personnel were downloading and updating the latest star charts, and coordinating with the helmsmen for calibrations. Combat personnel were running diagnostics on each of the weapons systems, speaking busily with each individual weapons group around various sections of the ship; they were eager to test the ship's weapons, but to their regret that would have to wait until after they left port. Personnel in Sensors, Security, Comms, and the many other departments necessary for running such a large vessel were equally busy at their assigned tasks.
Dai felt a rush of energy surge up her spine, and she desperately wanted to run full tilt around the command room, or jump into the air screaming for joy, or grab the nearest person and dance wildly about the room. Her excitement was overwhelming, and she found herself almost hopping in place she was so desperate to express it, but she managed to keep it contained to a bright smile and a brisk pace when she resumed her walk to the center of the command deck. Surrounded by Navigation personnel, as well as her new executive officer, the galaxy map wasn't yet online but its position in the center of the room would eventually serve as the place form which she commanded the ship. Standing at the map, with her personal computer in arm's reach, she looked around again at the entire command deck that surrounded her.
"My dreadnaught," she whispered to herself, letting out a steady breath to calm herself.
"Pardon, Captain?" Commander Ostermann asked, walking up from the other side of the map. She smiled at him.
"Status report, Commander." She managed to keep her voice relatively controlled, though her excitement was likely noticeable. Not a terrible crime, given how excited most of the crew seemed to be.
"Joy across the board so far, ma'am," Karl replied. He held out a datapad containing the reports that had been completed so far, and she glanced over it. Karl continued his report as she read. "Mr. Deschamps says within the hour his workers will be finished with those aft compartments he mentioned yesterday. All civilians should be off ship by the end of the night. How did everything go with the Senator?"
Finished with the report Dai looked up at her XO, towering over her. She gave a tiny roll of her eyes that only he could see, and smirked. "It went well enough, but the honorable Senator Brezhnev likes to talk."
Behind her, a young Lieutenant arrived, and stood at attention. Dai turned and acknowledged him with a smile. "Captain, Navigation reporting, all star charts downloaded and updated," he said, nervousness evident in his voice.
"Thank you Lieutenant, good work," Dai replied. "Stevens, is it? You're quite young for a Staff Lieutenant, your service record says you finished schooling with high marks."
Lieutenant Stevens smiled and blushed, and his youth showed. "Yes ma'am, I know I'm young, but you won't have any problems with me. I've been playing with stellar navigation since I was fourteen."
"I believe you," Dai said warmly, and nodded to dismiss him. "Thank your crew for me, as well."
Stevens nodded gratefully, and Dai turned around to her XO again. "Do me a favor, see if you can find the aliens I'm told arrived today, I'd like to meet them before launch if possible." Ostermann nodded and turned to relay her order, while Dai focused her attention on the galaxy map before her.
Software fully downloaded and updated, the Navigation crew was now bringing up the visual core of what would be the central hub of their job aboard the Olympus. A gigantic holographic representation of the known galaxy, marked with colonized planets, political borders, trade ports, military bases, and the all-important mass relays. Dai let her gaze sweep across the hologram, watchin countless stars drift slowly in their circular pattern. Her previous command, the SSV Sydney, had carried a similar map, but she never got tired of looking at it. Here before her, somewhere she could reach out and touch, were all the stars sentient beings had found or seen in the entire galaxy. She wanted to visit them all.
After a few moments, Ostermann returned to her side. "All aliens are reported on board, ma'am.. Turian Termidus Metridus, asari Kimila Danagi, salarian Kiran, and a last minute addition, a volus named Topri Von." His voice carried the surprise Dai felt, and she gave a little laugh that Ostermann echoed.
"Someone playing a joke on us, or am I misisng something"
"I have no idea Captain," Ostermann replied. "Maybe he's a bit more military-oriented than other volus?"
Dai chuckled and gave a helpless shrug. "Well, alright then. Let's go meet our new friends, and find out what a volus can do aboard an Alliance dreadnaught."
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This is a work of fan fiction, intended for the amusement of myself and those reading it. I am in no way affiliated with Bioware, Electronic Arts, or anyone else who has any official say over the Mass Effect franchise.
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