New beginning, part 5

"This way." Zoteke said, panning his rifle left and right, as he headed of in the direction of the science lab and all the activity on this deck, Security teams covering his back.

The marines on the surface ran into no problems headed into the station 'proper'. When they reached the main entrance, Kwa-Nic' ordered the marines to check for life signs using tricorders.

" I want all anomalous life form reading checked out. Alpha Team, go left ... Epsilon go right ... Ensign Vilal and I will concentrate on the middle with the security detail ... clear your sides and report ... We will work our way down systematically deck by deck", Kwa-Nic' ordered.

They progressed rapidly down into the station, until they reached Deck 16.

=^= Epsilon to Lead ... contact ... 5 unconfirmed life forms ... heading your way ... possible unfriendly.=^=

=^=Roger ... Lead to Alpha report=^=

=^=Alpha to Lead ... quiet here=^=

=^=Roger ... Lead to teams ... Converge on contacts ... Epsilon you make the call=^=

=^=Roger ... Epsilon is Lead=^=

Within 20 seconds everyone was in position to engage 'the enemy'.

=^=Epsilon this is Alpha ... do you still hold 5 contacts ... we have nothing here=^=

=^=Affirmative 5 ... no wait ... 9 unknown=^=

=^=Kwa-Nic' to teams ... I only read our presence on this deck ... form up on my position=^=

The marines all regrouped. "Check your equipment, NOW MARINES!", Kwa-Nic' ordered. "We could have missed a whole lot of enemies ... or worse ... killed some innocents due to faulty readings. I have the lead ... bag that piece of junk and use mine. Return to your former places and lets continue on down.", Kwa-Nic' ordered.

As he headed for the doors out into the corridors to Zoteke pulled out a few of the grenades he had scrounged up while he was in the Hanger. A Replicator, which was nice enough to allow Zoteke to remove the restriction module, had dutifully replicated 10 chemical explosive based grenades when Zoteke had programmed the 'recipe' into it. Now they'd come in handy.

Standing to the side of the door Zoteke waited until everyone was ready and in place. He slapped the door panel upon which the doors swooshed open. No sooner had a gap appeared or Zoteke chucked a grenade out through it.He turned his face away and waited for the grenade to go off.

A resounding loud explosion signaled the wait was over, and Zoteke threw himself out into the corridor. Where the grenade had landed nothing but the shrapnel of the explosion was to be found. The corridor was empty.

=^=Alpha to Lead ... I'm picking up an explosion 4 decks down=^=

=^=Lead to Teams ... Pick up the pace ... We have just received our invitation to the party ... You girls don't want to be late for the dance, do you=^=

Alpha and Epsilon replied almost simultaneously

=^=NO SIR!=^=

Kwa-Nic' and 'his fighters' cleared the next 2 decks quickly.

=^=Alpha to Lead ... Contact ... 2 ... I repeat 2 bogies ... in a jeffries tube headed down from Deck 20 to Deck 21=^=

=^=Lead to Alpha ... verify your targets and engage ... I say again engage=^=

=^=Roger, Lead=^=

Alpha team approached the jefferies tube, Lance-Corporal Larger peered over the ledge and saw all he needed to see.

"Light them up", he said to one of the other marines. The marine stepped to the ledge and opened up with the Tetryon Gatling Gun, eliminating both Borg before their shields could adapt.

=^=Alpha to Lead ... Scratch 2 Borg=^=

=^=Lead to Alpha ... well done ... keep moving=^=

Kwa-Nic's teams continued clearing Decks 19 and 20 and proceeded down to Deck 21.

It wasn't until they'd made three turns through the maze of corridors on their way before they ran into opposition, two turns and a mere 300 meters from the other Federation people. A group of three drones were heading towards the same side corridor as the Federation soldiers were only coming from the opposite direction.

Zoteke spotted them, balled his fist and held it up while dropping to his knees. "Contact!" he announced, "dead ahead. Three of `em" he added. The drones then noticed the soldiers and stopped in their tracks.

The sound of servo's and gears the only sound besides nervous breathing in the air. "Ready to open fire sir" Zoteke announced, taking a bead on the lead one while he waited for the order to engage.

=^=Lead to Teams ... I'm picking up multiple life forms ... confirm=^=

=^=Alpha to Lead ... Confirmed ... 3 ... I say 3 possible bogies=^=

=^=Epsilon to Lead ... Confirm multiple life forms ... unable to confirm bogies=^=

=^= Lead to Epsilon ... Move around and regroup with Alpha ... we don't want to catch anyone on the wrong side of a crossfire ... Alpha, Sit tight we are moving to your location=^=

=^=Epsilon to Lead ... Roger=^=

=^=Alpha to Lead ... Roger=^=

Kwa-Nic' and his fighters had just regrouped when the sound of a Polaron Rifle being discharged reached them. "Verify your targets and ENGAGE!", Kwa-Nic' ordered.

The fire teams broke from their cover and engaged the Borg. The fire from multiple directions was a minor distraction to the Borg, as their shields quickly adapted to the various frequencies of energy fire. Kwa-Nic' rushed toward the closest Borg with his dia-katana held high for a downward slash. Two Borg turned as Kwa-Nic' delivered the blow, severing the Borg's head and half of its upper torso from the rest of its body. The other Borg raised its arm and fired at the newest immediate threat. The dia-katana clattered to the floor, as Kwa-Nic' was thrown 2 meters into the bulkhead. Utilizing his combat training, Kwa-Nic' was back up as soon as he was able to regain his footing. Kwa-Nic' yelled as he lunged for the last Borg Drone, drawing his combat knife, "Today is a good day to die!", and he did, just before he reached the drone. The remaining Borg didn't have a chance after that.

=====deck 21 behind the damned bulkhead===

"Alyssa, guys listen you hear that... gunfire and if my tricorders right a ton more borg between us and them too,we gotta get outta this lab were probably going to need to blow the door open though, I've got a single antimatter charge in my pack its a bit excessive but itll get the job done had it saved in case I needed to decompress a compartment of drones or something, of course a few photon grenades can work

”I'd have to use my last 4 however and they do come in handy " stated jolan as he dug for the explosives waiting on a reply.

Nadia shook her head and looked over at Alyssa. "Why are the military types always so quick to blow things up?" Nadia glanced over at the veteran Marine and in her most diplomatic tone, "Captain Trask... that, the blowing stuff up, might not be necessary. There are protocols in place... meaning it is always easy to exit out of a contained facility, than it is to enter."

Nadia motioned with her hand to get Simon's attention. "Ensign Kang here is already in the localized computer system. I'm sure he can override whatever lock out that is currently in place to at least open the door for us to exit."

She looked over at her lab assistant, "Simon can you rig something in the system to get those bulkheads open... and for how long will it stay open?"At his console, Simon tapped away for a few seconds.

"Yes... but we will only have 30 seconds to leave... and that is a long run from this console."

Nadia looked around at the gathered Starfleet personnel. "See. Not a problem." Though she calculated in her mind that thirty seconds allowed for a minimal margin for error.

"Lets get to it" Alyssa stated, her face still bleak from the extinguisher incident earlier.

"Overrides only go so far but i think i can buy us time,

we can either try to wedge the door or blow the mechanisms forcing it open either way we need to move" finishing his sentence he fished for a second commbadge and reprogrammed it tho he now broadcasted two commbadge signals under his name one was really Alyssa hopefully the other marines would pick up on it he gathered his gear and waited ready to move on a moments notice"Right, get to the door already marine!"

===Deck 21, corridor near that damned bulkhead===

As soon as the order was given, Zoteke and the others let loose with their weaponry lighting up the corridor between them and the Borg up like a 90's HouseClub and smashing deadly and destructive energy into the Drones. Before the last light had faded three Drones were spread across the corridor floor, no part of them connected to the part it had been connected to seconds before. Zoteke cautiously moved forward continuously panning his rifle left to right, scanning for danger.

As he reached the last corner which turned into the corridor with their destination he heard the Drones as well as saw them show up on his tricorder. His fist went up, as he went down on his knees again.

"10 drones around the corner, right outside the bulkhead behind which we've got friendlies." Zoteke reported, checking his rifle and readying himself for the final fight.

He held up two of his grenades to the senior officer with a questioning look. Commander Romaine stepped out around another corner, their shields concealing them quite a bit - it was a beta-technology they were building on the station.

"Federation troops, around the corner, another group around the next.""Ma'am - I'm picking up the last group of drones down the corridor, 50m away."

Romaine nodded. "Let's gather both groups of Federation folks and hit the Borg all as one group. Open the bulkhead framing and cut off our cloak shields."

The group looked around the corner and deactivated their personal shields in front of the federation troops, who were looking a little worse for wear. The bulkhead opened up before them and the two groups were introduced at last. "

Greetings," she said to them. "Sorry it took so long to get to you."

Alyssa was more than slightly surprised when she saw Commander Romaine.

"Ma'am, what a pleasant surprise to run into you here! I was beginning to think that no other personnel was left on these levels."

She managed a slight grin. "No time for pleasantries - there's one last group of Borg to kill. Then I need to get my station back in order."

Zoteke put the grenades back into his pack as he noticed how severely outnumbered and out-gunned the Drones were now all the Federation personnel had 'flocked' together. Each of the security officers with him shouldered their rifles, took aim and waited for someone to give the signal to annihilate the last of the opposition.

This time, resistance would indeed be futile... for the Borg.

The first shot came not from within Zoteke's group but from one of the other people who'd just arrived. It didn't matter really. Exactly 4 seconds later, the last shot was fired and nothing more but scrap metal and organic goo remained of the Borg drones. Shivers went down Zoteke's spine as his brain realized it was over. He'd gone into combat again and achieved his goal... Ahrund lived, he lived, and no immediate threat to that survival remained for the moment.

He could relax, and concentrate on getting to Ahrund as soon as possible. Which ship were these people from again? Zoteke looked around to see if he could find out which of the officers around him was the right person to talk to. He needed to get himself up to that ship they beamed Ahrund to, or Ahrund beamed back to him.

Ahrund must be so sad right now.... Just thinking about his little superman al alone on a strange ship crying for his daddy made Zoteke's eyes water...looking around and seeing the gore they were surrounded by he decided the first option, beaming to the ship, was the preferable one.. Then a commsignal broke the silence that had ensued after the shooting had stopped…

=== After the battle ===

Greener finally got done pacing and tapped his commbadge. =^= USS August to away team, what is your status? =^=

"We're done, sir - Memory Alpha is clear." Commander Romaine answered the call.

=^= Well done. Please report to Captain Dylan, and get any civilians or officers back to the ship for now. I'll leave it up to Captain Dylan on what to do with you marines, but Security officers should check in with me on the August. =^=

"We have some stragglers from destroyed ships, sir. Perhaps you can help?" Vrih asked.

=^= Affirmative. We are expecting a few new officers, and after what has happened on the station, I don't doubt we have a few more stragglers. After I discuss with you and Commander Romaine, we'll work out any transfers as necessary. =^=

"Thank you, Captain," said Romaine.

=^= Very well, again, well done. Greener out. =^=

===USS August, Room near Transporter room 2===

==Just as the battle on Memory Alpha was winding down==

Ahrund was actually enjoying himself. The sadness of his Dad being gone and leaving him alone wasn't gone of course but he wasn't crying anymore.

The square little screens that lay all over the floor of the room he was in were really pretty, and when he pressed the pretty square lights on them the screen did funny stuff sometimes.

He had noticed that some squares did the same thing every time. The yellow one in the top right corner always turned the screen back to how it was when Ahrund started. The red ones in the lower right corner were no fun. They turned the screen black and then the screen thingy didn't work anymore, so he decided not to push them anymore.

The one in his hands now was one Ahrund hadn't tried yet and it showed a lot of green lighted squiggly lines. In the top right corner was the yellow square that Ahrund called the stop square. In the bottom of the screen a line of squares, all pretty blue lights, challenged Ahrund to be pressed. In the left corner of the screen a line of purple squares did likewise.

He liked blue better and so he pushed one of the squares in the middle. Suddenly a face appeared on the screen, startling Ahrund. It talked to.

=^=Hello? Hello? What Is going on? A comm. Signal from a PADD? Who is this? Hello? =^=

The face on the little screen was not looking happy, and Ahrund had a feeling it was because he had done something he wasn't supposed to. "Sowwy, Ahrund not naughty. Ahrund sad. Daddy not here. Ahrund cry but now Ahrund play." Ahrund muttered, dropping the little screen to the floor. "Ahrund not bad... please no ankwy to Ahrund..." He added.

Then he reached a decision and, resolutely, pressed the red square in the lower left corner of the little screen. It promptly went dark and silent, and Ahrund wasted no time in shoving it away and under the chair that stood against the far wall of the room.

"Oh oh... and now?" he said, lifting his arms in an "I don't know" fashion.

"Ok...." He said then, and turned to the other "unexplored" little screens on the floor beside him. If he didn't he knew he would cry again, because his daddy was taking a very long time now.... Too long, In Ahrunds expert opinion.

"Daddy bad... Pfuh..." he snapped, picking up a screen with lots of yellow squares.

===USS August, Bridge===

Ian quirked an eyebrow as the little boy terminated the PADD's comm connection to the bridge. He'd heard that there were a few civilians on board, but he hadn't realized there were children aboard, and certainly not any toddlers.

Chuckling to himself, Ian accessed the internal communication systems and reconnected to the boy's PADD.

As Ahrund went from one PADD to another, eagerly pushing the pretty sqaure lights on the screens, more and more of the way the little screen worked became clear to Ahrund. He'd found that most of the screens were exactly the same. When he pushed the center of the screen, where the pretty round thingy with the little dots speckled around it showed, the screen would show the same picture on a lot of the screens. Ahrund thought of them as the screen asking him what Ahrund wanted the screen to do.

He'd learned that some of the rounder little lights or dots that were shown did boring stuff. They just resulted in different configurations of the squiggly... thingies his daddy could look at for hours on end. They seemed to mean something to Daddy but to Ahrund they were just what they looked like. Boring little squiggly things that did nothing but just be there on the screen. Other round little lights were more promising.

On one of the screens he had been afraid he had woken up another angry person that lived in the screens.

This one hadn't been real though. No matter what Ahrund said or did to the little screen the face on it just kept talking and talking. And Ahrund couldn't understand one word of that man's blabbering. He'd pushed the red square as he had had enough and threw that screen to the far side of the room.

Suddenly Ahrund startled.

From under the chair the little screen in which the angry looking person had woken up before lights and sounds emerged. Ahrund got a little scared. He remembered how he had acted when the angry face appeared before, after being awakened by Ahrund. He didn't think the person in the screen would think that very nice of Ahrund.

What if that face was going to tell Daddy that Ahrund had thrown the person under the chair. No, he had to make it right.

He got up and cautiously went to the chair and looked underneath. Sure enough, the face on the screen was back, a little less angry looking, and it was upside down. It was saying something.

"...hear me? Are you there little boy? Can you hear me?" Ian was saying, trying to catch the attention of the child that had contacted the bridge earlier. "Ahrund sorry. Me no mean to make auwie you." Ahrund answered while his eyebrows dropped lower and further from the nose they were, like and upside down frown. He did his best to look very very sorry.

"Oh good! I was afraid you'd left. You said your name was Ahrund? It's alright Ahrund, you're not in any trouble," Ian said, although he still couldn't see the child he was speaking with. "Ahrund," he continued, "Am I on the floor? Can you move me up onto a table?" He asked, assuming the PADD was simply layng screen-down.

"Oh... Ok..." Ahrund said and picked up the little screen very carefully. He didn't want to shake the screen, as most of the stuff behind the person living in the screen looked like it was very important, and breakable, stuff.

Ian frowned as he heard the boy pick up the PADD, but didn't see the image change.

"Me no shake you now.. OK?" he assured the screenman as he turned the screen to face him right side up.

"So, me did you ask. Ahrund not bad boy" he told the screenman, gaining confidence when the face looked less and less angry.

"No Ahrund," Ian began, "You're a good boy, and I need you to do something for me. There is a green camera button on my screen, I need you to push it so I can see where you are."

Ahrund's face lit up at that. The face, screenman Ahrund decided to call him, at least to himself, wanted Ahrund to play with the shiny squares and dots on the screen! But what was that "Gween kemewah but" the face asked him to push. In fact the only thing he was quite sure of was the word push.

"Did you find it Ahrund?" Ian asked after a few moments when he didn't see the video activate. "The green button Ahrund, okay?"

"Not noow gween!" Ahrund said forcefully, frustrated like he always got when he didn't understand something. "What gween?!" he asked in an angry-ish tone.

Ian couldn't help but start laughing. "Okay," he managed to get out at last, "You can see me, right Ahrund?" he asked as he reached behind him for a tricorder. Finally grasping it, he tapped a few buttons and brought up a Q-band scan, which generally displayed readings in bright green.

"This color Ahrund," he said holding the tricorder up to the screen, "This is green."

Arend looked at the screen and what the screenman was pointing at. Then he noticed a square in the same color.. "aah me think me now now" he said and stabbed the little green square.

"Excellent," Ian said when he saw one of the screens on his console light up and show what looked like a conference room. "Do you know where you are?"

"Me not know. Ahrund want daddy now…"

Ian nodded as he began searching for the boy's father in the ship's manifest. When he finally found him, he told Ahrund,"Your dad isn't on the ship right now, but he should be back soon"

"okaaaay..... and now?" Ahrund said, looking questioningly at the screenman. He was glad the screenman didn't look angry and was talking nice to Ahrund. He somehow liked the screenman, if only because he was smaller than Ahrund and Ahrund could, if he wanted to, throw the screenman away.

"who you?" He asked, and then pointing at himself "Me Ahrund.. you know Daddy?".

"Not really," Ian said, "I haven't met any of the new marines yet, but I bet I will soon. Until he's back I'll keep you company though"

===USS August, Captain's Ready Room, some time after the end of the fighting ===

Caymen paced. He had read through all the reports, although he was still waiting to see what science had to say about things. Of course science was still gathering itself from the Memory Alpha disaster. The Borg were after something specific, and they had to find out and get that to Starfleet.

That being said, the August had different orders - long-range orders that required a top-notch crew. And since they had lost a few - their XO, Tactical to name two - it was time to get some newcomers.

Caymen had his thoughts about a new 1st officer - he was working on that. But he had received some transfer requests in the areas of science, tactical, and the marines. They needed these people, and he was glad to have them. And that was why he had called them all here, along with Captain Dylan who would handle the new marine.

He put all four of their dossiers on the big screen on his wall as they all filed in at the appropriate time. Captain Dylan arrived a few minutes early - Caymen stated the command to open the door.

"Reporting as ordered, Sir." said Marine Captain Anna Dylan as she snapped off a salute. Greener returned the salute, although a bit more loosely than Dylan did. "Good to see you again, Captain. I trust all is well with your marines... relatively speaking?"

"Well, Sir we lost some good people, I think that the biggest loss is that of 2nd Lt Kwa'Nic."

Caymen nodded. "Yes, it is a shame - a true shame. We will be honoring him shortly - Lieutenant Davowski is planning the ceremony."

"Sir if I may I would like to recommend that he receive a posthumous Promotion to 1st Lieutenant, as Well as the Purple Heart," Said Dylan.

Greener nodded slowly. "I had already counted on the Purple Heart for all those injured or killed. The posthumous promotion seems like a very good idea. I'll make sure to announce it at the ceremony."

The two did not have much longer before others began to arrive.

===Transporter Room, USS August===

It had been awhile since Nadia had been ordered back aboard a starship. She knew it was good for her career, but she wasn't interested in promotions. They only burden you with more responsibility and took precious time away from the important things, like research and studies. As the transporter chief at Memory Alpha gave her the nod, Nadia closed her eyes as she felt her molecules dispersed.

Once she felt herself again, Nadia opened her eyes and saw the transporter chief on the USS August. She stepped off the pad and walked over to the chief. He handed her a padd with all the information that Commander Stark had left for her. She studied it for a moment, reading things quickly, and noticed that she had to be in a minutes in a few minutes. During this time, the transporter chief had sent her belongings and equipment to their respective destinations on the ship.With a sigh, Nadia took off toward her destination, a meeting with the Captain and Commander Stark.

=== A few moments later ===

After the MA battle had been over Zoteke had wasted little time, or pleasantries, on making it clear he needed to get up to the USS August and to his son as soon as humanly, or Ktarianly, possible. Fortunately the Officer he'd spoken to had understood and he had been re-united with his son quickly.

He had found Ahrund alone in an engineering officer close to the secondary transporter room, in the middle of a cluttering of PADDs, chattering up a storm with someone over a PADD's commchannel.

As he understood it Ahrund had, by accident, activated a call to the bridge's Ops. Station. The Officer had been so kind as to keep Ahrund busy talking to him. Ahrund had first thought the man had been a little creature living inside the hand held Personall Access Data Device, and had been quite startled when Lt. jg. Ian Grant had showed up in person to greet Zoteke and Ahrund.

"You no small... you big!" Ahrund had exclaimed as he had layed eyes on lt. Grant, his eyes round like saucers.

Having been reunited the two were as happy as they could be and together they'd followed the good looking petite engineering Ensign that had greeted Ahrund before to their assigned quarters. Like almost everything else aboard the ship, Zoteke assumed, the quarters were undamaged but very messy due to the stuff that had fallen out, off, over, against and all over everything else during the battle.

Then Zoteke had gotten the order to report to the captain over the comm.

He had asked and gotten permission to take Ahrund with him, and Zoteke took that a good sign. Perhaps the captain understood that Zoteke leaving Ahrund so quickly after having been reunited with his daddy would be extremely traumatic for him. He wondered if the request he'd dropped on the Ops. Officer when they'd parted ways had already reached the Captain .

Maybe they'd learn right away, and from the topdogg himself, if they'd be staying on with the August or be without a job when the Ship left.

Carrying Ahrund in his arms, Zoteke stepped through the swooshing doors after the captain ordered them to Enter to find two officers there already. One a Captain, the other a Captain, a marine one that is...

Standing ramrod straight, quite a feat with a squirming 2 year old on one arm, Zoteke saluted. "Mst. Sgt. Zoteke Madwan, Marine fighter core, reporting as ordered sir."

Caymen and Dylan both returned the salute. Alyssa walked towards the captains ready room. She had been beamed up after the battle was over on memory alpha, and was ordered to meet with the Captain.

"Sir! Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Stark reporting for duty as ordered!" Alyssa said, as she saluted the senior officers present.

Jolan dropped his salute, adjusted his Dress uniform - marine black with crimson lines - when a gunny walked up to him " Captain Trask, sir, the USS August has requested you beam aboard. Her skipper wants to meet with you, one Captain Cayman Greener."

Jolan nodded and walked off. 15 minutes later after needing to detour via deck 8 lift 4C he walked into the Ready room. "Marine Captain Jolan K Trask, "B" company commander station garrison, reporting as ordered."

Nadia never liked formal meetings, often feeling uncomfortable. She paused for a moment before entering the room pointed out by an ensign on the bridge.

As Nadia entered, she saw several people already here and momentarily wondered if she was late. Seeing a distinguished man with Captain's pips, Nadia walked over to stand next to Alyssa and a big marine, and saluted, "Lieutenant Nadia Nemerov, Sciences Department, reporting for duty."

Greener nodded to Dylan, who ordered them all at ease. Caymen relaxed himself and looked behind him up at the viewscreen on the wall.

"You're all impressive officers... your requests to be on this ship have been granted."

He paused. "But there are some caveats. First, your start to this ship's mission is quite abnormal - a Borg attack that likely killed some of your comrades - we will honor them later today.”

"More importantly," he continued, "is the tour of the August. Yes we are fairly deep in Federation territory, at a science station ordered here for upgrades... and cleanup, now. But our mission is one of danger and stress - out in the unknown parts of the galaxy. We seek new worlds, new resources, and most importantly - new friends. For the war for the Alpha and Beta quadrants will tax us greatly. You will be gone a long time - from your friends, family, the rest of Starfleet. There may be a few outposts that are friendly to us out there in the wilds. But other than that, we're on our own." He changes the screen to show the mission details.

"You all have received a copy of our orders - any questions?"

Jolan relaxed and took a breath as he pulled a padd of the ships specs out of one of his pockets.

"Hmm a galaxy/envoy refit, I'll need to get a feel for her but i think me and the August will get along just fine,mighty fine ship skipper..er Captain, sorry."

Caymen simply nodded. He turned to Dylan, "I've seen your service record and look forward to serving alongside you nice to know I'm not the only Marine aboard ship."

"Well if you ever want to do some PT in your welcome to join us on the Marine Deck, Sir," replied Dylan.

He turned back to Caymen, "When will we be departing, sir? I need to contact the families of my men lost, gather my belongings, turn in my issued weapon with the base and such."

Caymen nodded again. "We will not be departing for a few days, so you have some time. We have many repairs, some upgrades - including a major overhaul of the Marine deck, and other things to take care of. Further, Lieutenant Davowski, one of our diplomats, will be handling the ceremony tomorrow. This will include some of our lost marines, although not everyone from Memory Alpha will be honored - Commander Romaine will likely handle that separately."

For Zoteke the question was a no-brainer. Where ever the USS August was going they were going the opposite of the way the war was going these days. And all the family they'd need to think about where in each others arms right there. He looked at Ahrund who smiled up happily, just glad to be with dad again.

"Me and my son are in as well Captain." he said.

Nemerov piped up. "No questions here, Captain Greener. My team and I are ready for the challenges ahead. I'll work through Commander Stark to get lab spaces and equipment squared away," stated Nadia after a brief moment.

Jolan's padd beeped - glancing at it he came to find out his gear had been pre-stowed upon agreeing to take the post of the Tactical officer. He figured the skipper had already had his stuff beamed up - it didn't list his quarters though.

"Captain Greener, where am i staying? The tactical officers quarters or with the marines. I see you have had my stuff beamed up already and what exactly is the full scope and responsibility asked of me, aside from shooting the weapons?"

Greener smiled. "You will be considered an officer reporting to me for your tactical duties. Officer Ovik can get you your quarters information, but most likely on Deck 3 with the rest of us. You'll work closely with Lieutenants Grant and Nogumo on the weapons and tactical systems for combat scenarios."

"Will I be tasked with maintaining them, or will engineering? And what about upgrades and such?" He paused taking a breath "I don't want to overstep my bounds, but am I still able to go on away missions with the marines if the situation needs it?"

"You and Engineering will work together on weapons maintenance and upgrades. Lieutenant Grant will need to be involved as well usually." Greener looked to Dylan.

"I would not have a problem with you accompanying the Marines on away missions, but your primary duties would be here on the bridge. Captain Dylan?"

"If the reports are accurate I would insist that you be able to Participate in away missions." replied Dylan.

Jolan had held tactical posts before and was aware of the overall task but ultimately each ship did things differently.

Suddenly Zoteke came up with a thought.

"Sir, i've got a question. I've noticed you're short one fighter. I happen to know a couple of fighters which were being tested at MA when the whole Borg incident occurred. How about we ask them if they can spare one? It's called a Sparrow, and i know they kick ass, if you'll pardon my language sir.." He said, looking guiltily down at Ahrund, as he always did when he forgot his language.

"I've heard some stories about the sparrow's I think we may have some space for one, Captain Greener," Said Dylan.

Greener nodded.

"I agree - I will contact Lieutenant Vihal, coordinating our efforts down there, and have him make the request of Commander Romaine. Lieutenant Madwan, you may have the honor of flying her back up to the August if you wish. Just make sure you check the ship in with both Captain Dylan here as well as our Naval Helmsman, Lieutenant Nogumo."

Jolan updated the padd he had in his hand and spoke again. "Thank you, ma'am," he began, turning to Dylan as he resumed. "We can bang heads together about our deck after we pay respects and as for PT ill be there as often as Tactical allows in fact i look forward to it"

Greener looked around. "Any other questions of points of order?" He paused briefly, asking someone rhetorically. "Otherwise, welcome aboard the August - it will be a pleasure serving with you all!"

They all exchanged salutes and left the ready room. Caymen remained behind to contact Vrih about the fighter, as well as link with Quinn, Grant, and Trask on the weapons upgrades.