Ben Somerset

Foss: The dates you're looking for are in here: http://www.bc3000ad.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000035.html {neglected to put in the UBB code} ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-20-99).]

[Narrative On] Mission + 0days 19hrs 25mins Banish Pilot-IC1 In flight log entry *heavy breathing* This sucks. We just got sent into the fires of eternal hell. Commander thought we'd be facing a minor raiding force. Boy, was he ever wrong! "How many are back there, Bigtone?" Bigtone: "Too damn many, Banish! I can't even count the number of fighters!" I snapped the control stick, moving the fighter around to an attack position. "Let's protect SC2 as long as we can. Lock me up some bandits, Bigtone." Bigtone: "You got it. Bandits, comin' up." The HUD flared to life as target symbology appeared, directing me to the nearest fighter. Bigtone: "Bandit, 3 o'clock high." I moved the control stick to intercept. I went for missles this time out, since we were too far away for lasers. Not much later, I heard a distinct tone in my ears, signifying the missle was locked on. "Fox One!" I called over the com. The missle streaked to it's target, and the Raider disappeared in a fiery explosion. "Bandit on our six!" Bigtone yelled at me. "Break left!" Instinctively, I moved the stick as far to the left as I could. 'Always trust your wizzo', they said. I trusted Bigtone. That burly guy's saved our necks more than once. I turned my head, trying to get a bead on the bandit. I finally found him at four o'clock, low. To have ridden on our tail through that maneuver must have meant he was fairly good. I was still going to the left, so I decided to suck the poor fool in. With my left hand, I chopped the throttle to idle, and kicked in the Retrothrusters to slow us down. My right snapped the stick over to the right, bringing our nose to face the bandit. He didn't even see it coming. He shot out in front of us as my nose came right around to face him. "So long, sucker." I uttered as I fired 4 laser bursts at full power, obliterating the other fighter. From behind me, Bigtone said "Don't look now, but we just got more company." "How much?" I asked him. "At least 8 cap ships, and 30 more fighters, all on our six." He replied calmly. "Damn." was all I could say for a moment. Then, "All right everybody, Commander wanted 'em sucked in, well, they're gonna be sucked in. 4, you and I will escort SC2 back to the ship, fingertip formation. 2, 3, you're going to have to cover us until we get back through the gate." I looked for 4, and saw him coming in at my 5 o'clock. He was coming in fast, and moved right into fingertip with me. I moved the throttles to the stops, lifted the detents, and threw the little fighter into burner. We needed to catch up to that shuttle, and get it back to the ship. I just wonder how the Commander will feel about his plan working so well. [Narrative off] Respectfully submitted, Robert Anderson, 'Banish' Pilot, IC-1 GCV Chikuma [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-19-99).]

If IC1 Pilot Banish's position is open, I would be glad to fill it. I'm looking forward to the 'actual' beginning of this RP. Regards, ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Something else is that before you apply to Prime, check out the other Fleet websites and see if one of them is more to your liking. I registered in Prime Fleet, and later found Wraith to suit my style more. So instead, I'm on TDY (Temporary Duty) assignment to Wraith. As the Knight said in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"...'Choose, but choose wisely.' It's good advice for anyone who hasn't already registered on the Commander's Roster should remember. Respectfully yours, ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Commander, SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 08-11-99).]

I went through alot of names before I finally got around to the one I have now, which is the Swiftsure. Being an avid Trek fan, I first chose an obvious name, Enterprise. I grew out of that name and into others, including, Illustrious, Vindicator, and Dreadnaught. One day, I was reading a Trek book entitled Spock's World, and saw the name Swiftsure. It seemed perfect for me, and I adopted it as the name of my ship in BC3k, and registered it. I'm also rather fond of the fact that out of all the ships in the Commanders Roster, mine is unique. I haven't seen another Swiftsure, though I have seen alot of Enterprise's. By the way, Gallion, I always did like the name you chose for your ship. The name of a valiant German pocket battleship, that should have gone out in a blaze of glory against a superior British force. It's a real shame that she was scuttled instead. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing Commander =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I must agree with Gallion. Moving into that kind of territory moves into realms of theoretical physics that we could only 'technobabble' our way through. I think we should stick to known territory for this RP. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing Commander =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Welcome aboard, Bandus. Nice to see that all of the Wing Commander slots are all filled now. Under new leadership, I doubt that Delta Wing will befall the unfortunate fate it did last time. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure SIN Wing =TDY Wraith Fleet= "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I've actually had a few quote's for my ship...but I finally found one that fits the name of my ship well. GCV Swiftsure "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." -John Paul Jones ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

December 3003 sounds fine to me. By that time, whatever occurs in the e-mail RP should be done, and all of the ships that may get banged up will be back in working order. Two questions though. 1) Will the War still be going on then? 2) When do we start? ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I doubt that the RP will be over anytime soon, Foss. 450ish messages might seem like alot to read, but some of them are extremely short. You'll probably be able to breeze through about half to two-thirds of it easily. I think we'll all enjoy the extra company in our motley. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

I'm glad you've decided to come back so soon, Sebastian. Looking forward to see what you and Foss come up with next. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way." - John Paul Jones

Foss: If you'd like to see what's been going on in the e-mail RP without overloading your mail account, you can go to http://www.egroups.com/groups/bcrp and read all of the posts. DeSylva will probably read this thread, so if you'd like to get in on the action, mention it here, or send him a mail, and I bet he would be glad to add you to the mailing list. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

I think what he meant was that we should wait until the e-mail RP was done, so we know what state our ships/characters are in when it's over. Wouldn't be good to start writing like everything's fine in the forum RPG, when it ends up that in the e-mail one, your ship gets plastered. Foss: Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing you join up in the e-mail RP. We could always use another ship, and good Commander. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

My vote is for Polaris as well. That gives us from September 3000-January 3001. Alot of RP time and opportunities for all involved. A side remark to Gallions last post. Who says that an attack force to Gamma-1 has to be large? Surgical strikes are always more interesting than brute force. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

I think Gallion's got a good idea. The Gamms attacking GalCom in Polaris seems like an excellent starting off point for the RP. The Swiftsure, and SIN Wing, are at your service. ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Flt. TDY Wraith Flt., SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll go with it. The next question is, how long after the First War should it take place? ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

I'm game, if everyone else is. Just one thing, though. Picking up right after the First Gamm War might be tough for some. Gallion, Foss, myself, and some others have RP stuff already going on immediately after the war. Anyway, does anyone have any ideas as to what this is going to be about? ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

May God be with you, and comfort you in your hour of need.

And just think of what that means for MP...it's going to be fun... ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

Thanks, Tac! I think I can take it from here. [RP] {snip} A woman walked in, saluted and handed the Fleet Commander a datapad. "You left this on the bridge Sir" she said with a grin. "Commander Somerset, this is Lieutenant Commander Maia Kurazawa, my first officer." "Somerset? Of the Swiftsure?" the Lt. Cmdr. said with a smile forming on her face. Before Tac could say anything, the silent Commander replied... {/snip} Yes, I'm Commander Somerset of the Swiftsure. Why do you ask?" he said in his thick British accent. Though neither of them could really tell, Somerset was surprised. In less than a month, he had gone from a mere Starcruiser Commander, fought in a war with the Gamms, lost his ship, gotten a new one, and had just found out he was now being given command of a Wing in Wraith Fleet. What was it he had said...SIN Wing? It had been a hectic month and a half, but somehow, he never felt the shock and surprise that most people would. And most important to him of all, he had found Jessica. Someone so wonderful, whom he had served with for almost a year with nothing happening. He had found her very attractive from the day she had come aboard, but he never did anything about it until a few weeks ago. Ever since his divorce with Alyssa, Somerset was very wary about love, and the emotional baggage that usually came with it. He knew what could happen with two people aboard the same ship, who were involved. If things went poorly, ships efficiency dropped. It was obvious when Somerset's marriage with Alyssa started to fall apart. To everyone except him. Command had captured almost all of his attention, and left no time for her. He spent more time on the bridge, and in his ready room, than he did with his wife. The first time Somerset learned about it, was when she handed him the divorce papers, and left their cabin in tears. After that, she left the ship, and eventually, left the GalCom Military. For years afterward, Somerset blamed her for what had happened. She never told him that she wasn't happy, hadn't made any sign that something was wrong with the marriage. It took him over two years to realize what had been wrong. Him. Then was when he decided he wouldn't get involved with a woman under his command. He virtually wrote off women altogether. Until Jessica came along. Suddenly, those rules, and decisions he had made, fell by the wayside. A word from Lt. Cmdr. Kurazawa woke Somerset from his reverie. "So you know Hikaru? Hikaru Ishikawa?" she asked with a questioning look in her eyes. She knew that he served aboard the Swiftsure with a Commander Somerset, but that was a Starcruiser. This Commander Somerset arrived on a Galactan Battlecruiser. There was the possibility that there were more than one Commander Somerset in GalCom. Somerset's eyebrow furrowed, wondering just who this woman was. "Yes, yes I do. He's my Nav/Ops Officer. Do you know him?" "We went to the Academy together, and got assigned to the same ship for our first tour of duty. So, he's here?" she said with a smile. The prospect of seeing Hikaru again brought a light into her eyes. "He is. He'll be on the second liberty rotation, if you want to see him." Somerset said succinctly. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to see him. Whether it was romantically or not, he didn't know. And Hikaru probably wouldn't say anything about it, if it were. Not to Somerset, at least. He didn't know if Kurazawa would discuss those sorts of things with her Commander, either. "Thank you, sir. If there's nothing else, Fleet Commander...?" she said. It appeared that she wanted to leave in a hurry. "No, Maia. That's all." Londono said, waving his hand to send her off. The woman turned with a slight smile and left the office. Londono looked at Somerset, and said "By the way, most people call me Tac. It's alot easier to handle than 'Fleet Commander Daniel Londono.' So, what do you think of my offer, Ben? I may call you Ben?" he said with a slight chuckle and grin. "Of course. If you're going to be my new CO, a first name basis is appropriate." Somerset said simply. "Can I take that as a yes?" Tac asked. The Commanders record was exemplary. He hadn't been lying, either. The 'old' Swiftsure had been to some of the most dangerous places any GalCom ship could ever venture. Reconnaissance was a difficult assignment, even without going to the places no GalCom ship ever went to uncloaked, and came back alive to tell about it. They had gone on missions to Spectre, seen the Insurgent headquarters looming mere kilometers off their bow. As if that were dangerous enough...Prime Fleet had even sent them on missions to Gamma-1. On more than one occasion. Spectre wasn't a pleasant place to go, but Gammula Starstation was worse. Enemy ships on almost every vector, Stormcarriers sitting within a half kilometer of the Swiftsure. If the cloak had ever failed, within seconds the ship would have been a flaming piece of wreckage. Dangerous... Tac didn't know the half of it. But they had made it back, alive, and in one piece every single time. Other GalCom ships had left to do some reconnaissance in one of the more dangerous regions, and they never came back. The Gamms weren't known for taking prisoners, either. Even with all the risk, the crew of the Swiftsure was good at what they did. Intelligence gathering wasn't an easy job, and they seemed to do it better than everyone else. Or, so Somerset, and apparently Tac as well, had been told. Looking the Fleet Commander in the eye, Somerset made one of those 'command decisions'. "Yes," he told Tac. If they were going to be creating a Wing whose primary task would be recon, they were going to need a good teacher. Unless they had experience themselves. Hopefully, they would. It would be easier than trying to train from scratch, but Somerset knew that for a few, they would have no experience. Evidently, GalCom had decided he was the man to teach them. He promised himself then, that they would not regret their decision. "If there's nothing else, sir, I'd like to take this datapad back to the ship, and get started looking at it. There's probably alot that needs to be done to get the Wing up and running." "Actually, Ben, there isn't. SIN Wing is operational, it just needed a Commander. I hadn't found anyone suited for the job, until I looked over your record. You and your ship will fit the bill exactly." Tac said. Seemed like he had done most of the hard work. Now, it would be up to Somerset to see that they did what they were supposed to do, and do it well. "Thank you, sir. With your permission...?" he said, pointing toward the door. Tac looked over, and grinned. "Of course, you're dismissed. Report to me when you're ready to set up and begin training exercises. With all the defenses around here, Wraith would probably be a good place to start." "Aye, sir. I'll keep that in mind." Somerset said, as he rose from his chair and went out the door. A wry grin came onto the Commanders face, as he headed toward Docking Bay 6, and the Swiftsure. "Wait until Jess hears about this..." ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet TDY Wraith Fleet, SIN Wing ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 07-06-99).]

[RP] They stayed that way until Somerset heard the intercom chime. [Commander to the bridge.] he heard Soran say. "Mmmm...I'd rather stay here..." he heard Jessica murmur. "So would I..." he said as he tapped his commbadge. "On my way, Soran. Somerset, out." In front of him, he heard Jessica say "Not quite yet," as she turned around and kissed him. Somerset wasn't about to complain. Finally, the kiss broke, and they headed off to the bridge. When they arrived, both of them were all business. "Report." Somerset called. As Soran relinquished the command chair, he said "We are now approaching Wraith HQ, and should arrive in 4 minutes," as he crossed the bridge to his station. Watching as the station loomed larger and larger in the viewscreen, Somerset ordered "Henry, slow to 500 kps. Jessica, please open a channel to the station and request docking clearance." "Slowing to 500 kps, sir." Allen reported as the ship began to decelerate. "We've been cleared for docking at bay 6, sir. The station says that the Fleet Commander wants to see you as soon as we dock." Jessica said from Comms. "Very well." Somerset replied, thinking 'He sure doesn't waste any time, does he?' Meeting the Fleet Commander was going to be interesting... "Approaching bay 6. Slowing to 20 kps, and beginning docking procedures." Allen said, pressing a few buttons, then saying "Docking control handed over to Wraith HQ." Feeling a soft bump, the crew could tell that they had docked with the station. Allen said "Docking completed." From Nav, Ishikawa reported "Moorings activated. Initiating gravitational and external support. All systems standing by." After that remark, Somerset saw all the system displays go from the standard green 'Online' to the yellow 'Standby' and in a few cases the red 'Offline.' Pressing the shipwide comm button, Somerset's voice went throughout the ship [All hands, this is the Commander. We have arrived at Wraith HQ. Liberty is granted for all departments, check with department heads for the rotation. Somerset, out.] Standing up, Somerset said to Soran "You have the bridge, Number One," as he headed toward the airlock. Once on the station, he really didn't pay much attention to anything until he ended up at the Fleet Commander's office. Looking at the YD-114 Yeoman Droid, he said "I'm Commander Somerset, here to see the Fleet Commander." The droid looked at him and said "Yes, Commander. Go right in. The Fleet Commander is expecting you." The doors parted and Somerset walked up to the Fleet Commander, and stood to attention. "Commander Benjamin Somerset, reporting as ordered, sir." [/RP] ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure Prime Fleet TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

[RP] Somerset sat down at the head of the table in the briefing room after all the senior staff had assembled. As always, Soran sat to his right, and Kamarov to his left. After that, were Allen and Ishikawa, Pierce and Nielson, and at the opposite end, O'Malley and Jessica. 'She looks so pretty...' Somerset thought, before bringing himself back to the reason for the meeting. "Status, everyone?" he asked. At his side Kamarov said, "No enemy activity in the area. Advance reports indicate a safe journey all the way to Wraith HQ." Somerset was pleased that they wouldn't have to deal with any 'unpleasant' situations on the way to Wraith. Ishikawa looked at Somerset and said "We are on course, and should arrive there in 1.2 hours, present speed. Operations are running normally." The Operations officer was definitely good at his job. It was now Allen's turn. "It appears to be smooth sailing all the way, sir. The ship is handling perfectly." The words of an experienced pilot, Somerset thought. Nielson was next in line. "I've been running standard exercises to integrate the new Marine's we picked up. So far, they've been going well." The Marine never did talk much, just pointed out what needed to be said. Pierce, one of Somerset's oldest friends looked at him. "Ben," he was also one of the only people aboard who could use his first name, "I haven't even had a single patient in sickbay since we left GHQ. Not a bruise, hangover, not anything." Even though he had known the Doctor for such a long time, Somerset was still amused by the Southern twang in his voice. O'Malley turned from looking at the Doctor, to looking at the Commander. "Engineering is fine, siar. I haven't seen a ship as well put together as this one. We haven't had anythin' wrong, other than that trouble with the Communications system." Smiling at the Commander, Jessica made her report. "We found out what the problem with the Communication system was. The long range transmitter failed. The techs at Base 4 identified it as a bad set of transmitters put out by the factory. It was recalled, but the engineers put it the unit in before the recall was issued. The defective unit was pulled, and replaced. Communications are fully restored." 'So that's what it was...' Somerset thought. They had been...distracted...and he hadn't found out what was wrong with the Comms system. "Good," the Commander said. "Now, I'm going to tell you why I've called this briefing." Pressing a switch on the table, Somerset activated the holoimager placed in the center of the table. On it, showed the message Somerset had received from FleetOps. "We've been placed on TDY to Wraith Fleet. I don't know why, or for how long. Since we're going to be close to the Gammulan border, we need to be ready for anything. When I find out what's going on, I'll inform you. Dismissed." With that, he ended the meeting. All the officers filed out of the room, except for Jessica. She walked over to the viewports, and looked out of them at the stars. Somerset walked up behind, and wrapped his arms around her. He placed his head on her shoulder, and they looked out at the stars, together. [/RP] ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 06-29-99).]

Well, it's all right to see 7 of 9 in a body suit. But would you want to see Janeway in one? Anybody...? I didn't think so. Personally, I doubt that at least Travis will be so thin if he's starting to go grey. But, who knows what things will be like in 3020? He may be fat... ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

[RP] It had been several hours since the Swiftsure had arrived overhead Base 4, and began repairs on the long-range communication system. Somerset had finally completed the mass of paperwork that seemed to plague all Commanders, and sat down on the sofa with a book. Even though it was the 31st century, there were still some companies that published actual books and not an electronic variety. At the moment, he was reading War and Remembrance. A 2947 print from Alpha Centauri. Though far from his most prized book, he enjoyed this novel a great deal. About 75 pages into the book, he heard the door chime. "Come," he said without even looking up from the book. Jessica walked in, and stood in front of Somerset. "You wanted to know when we completed the diagnostics and repairs, sir." She said. Motioning to one of the wingback chairs in the sitting area, he said "Yes. Please, take a seat. Would you like something to drink?" Always playing the host. "Some iced tea would be nice, thank you," she said as he walked over to the servitor and retrieved iced tea for her, and another cup of Earl Grey for himself. Handing her the drink, he took his own and sat down. "You know, I haven't eaten. Would you mind discussing this over dinner?" The moment he finished saying it, Somerset was taken aback with himself. Blatantly asking a female senior officer to dinner. And the one with which he had shared such a passionate kiss less than a week before. He couldn't help himself. Smiling at the Commander and taking a sip of her tea, Jessica replied, "I'd like that very much. What should we have?" leaving the decision of what to eat up to him. "I've got the perfect thing," he said smiling back. "We can have dinner in my cabin," suggesting an intimate dinner for 2, instead of eating in the Officer's Mess where they could be seen by others. "Of course," she said smiling. They both stood up, and as they left the room, they felt their hands brush. It felt like a surge of electricity went through the room. Not knowing who really took the initiative, they held hands across the bridge all the way to the Commander's quarters. Once they were in his cabin, Somerset pressed the call button for his SD-5 Servant Droid. As the droid came in and said "Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?" Somerset said, "Bring me veal parmesan for 2. And a good cabernet. The '88, I believe." The droid bowed down slightly and said, "Yes, Commander. It will be attended to immediately." After the dinner, Jessica complimented the good food. She didn't realize it was from Somerset's private stock of real food. They were both feeling the minor effects of the cabernet. Soon after, they were both sitting on the couch next to one another drinking coffee. The talk drifted from subject to subject, never once touching on the failed comm system. The two were almost in each other's arms, lips drifting closer, and closer together...when the Commlink beeped. Extremely annoyed, Somerset tapped his badge, acknowledging the call. "Somerset here, what is it?" letting the annoyance seep into his words. "This is Soran, Commander. We are recieving a Level 4 message for your eyes only. Shall I send it to the terminal in your cabin, or will you take it on the bridge?" Sometimes, the first officer had the worst sense of timing... Looking over at Jessica, he said "I'll take it in here." "Understood. Soran out," the first officer said, severing the connection. He walked over and activated the terminal, inputting his command codes to view the transmission. "This had better be good..." he said under his breath. He wanted to go back to the couch and pick up where he left off, but he had to attend to his duty first. As the message scrolled down, an eyebrow raised and he said "What the hell?" He ran the message back, and started to read it again. ---------Begin Transmission--------- To: Commander Benjamin A. Somerset, CO GCV Swiftsure Fr: Strategic Commander Thomas Masterson, Prime FleetOps Su: TDY Assignment As of this date the GCV Swiftsure is detached from GalCom Prime Fleet on TDY to GalCom Wraith Fleet. You will proceed with all due haste to Wraith HQ. There you will recieve your new orders from Fleet Commander Daniel Londono. Strategic Commander Thomas Masterson Prime FleetOps ----------End Transmission---------- Somerset sat stunned. Detached from Prime and transferred to Wraith...? He wondered what was going on. Jessica saw the stunned expression and walked over to him asking "What's wrong?" She put her hands on his shoulders as she read the message, and couldn't believe what the message said either. Perhaps Wraith had lost a few too many ships during the recent conflict with the Gammulans. Placing her head alongside his, she said "Dearest, there must be a reason for this." He looked at her, deep into her eyes. "I wish you'd call me that more often," smiling at her "dearest...it's got a nice ring to it." He was going to comment further, but her lips met his before he could say anything. After a few minutes, the kiss broke. "Oh, hell. We've gotta get moving," he said, tapping his commbadge "Somerset to bridge, set course for Wraith HQ best possible speed. And call a briefing of the senior staff immediately." "I better be going." Jessica said to him, heading for the door. Before she got out, he grabbed her arm and twirled her around. After giving her another deep kiss, he asked "Breakfast tomorrow, dearest?" She smiled and told him "Of course. But I've got to get ready for that briefing, since we never did get around to discussing the comm system," as she headed out the door. "No, we didn't..." Somerset said as he headed back to the terminal and acknowledged the message, confirming their new orders. Under him, he could feel the massive hyperdrive engines spinning up, sending the Swiftsure toward Wraith HQ. What would happen when they got there, he knew not. [/RP] Well, the Swiftsure is now part of Wraith Fleet, albeit temporarily. *neglected to alter his sig appropriately* ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure TDY Wraith Fleet ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV [This message has been edited by Ben Somerset (edited 06-11-99).]

[RP] The first mishap on the maiden voyage of the new GCV Swiftsure occurred less than a week out of the dockyard. While extensive testing of all the ships systems were done before the ship was commissioned, the engineers always missed something. Hence, for over a millennia ships conducted a 'shakedown cruise' to find and correct whatever the enormous amounts of tests missed. All of the senior staff was present on the bridge for the most important event to date. For the past week, the ship had conducted trials and proving runs in the Moon region. So far, they had found nothing wrong with the ship. But all of them new they eventually would. They just hoped it wouldn't happen now. Once the final checks were complete, the ship was about to undergo something she had not undergone before. The activation of her hyperdrive. While she was still under construction, engineers had run all kinds of simulations and tests on the hyperdrive. But as yet, it had never been used under operational conditions. If something went wrong with this test, it could be catastrophic for the ship and crew. More than one ship had been destroyed during the first jump to hyperspace. Somerset looked across the bridge. All of them appeared to be as ready as they would ever be. Reaching to his console, he activated the ship-wide intercom. "Attention all hands, this is the Commander. All decks and divisions report readiness for the jump to hyperspace." He disconnected from the intercom, and waited for the reports to come in. Turning from his station to face the Commander, Henry Allen stated "Flight ready for jump, sir." With that, he turned back to begin final checks and entered commands to take the ship to a velocity faster than light. Still facing the main viewscreen, Hikaru Ishikawa made his report. "Navigation and Operations ready, sir." Somerset appreciated the way that Ishikawa stuck to his duties. It was the mark of a great Commander, something he was sure Ishikawa would be someday. "Marine Operations to bridge. Ready for jump, sir." Major Nielson was a man of few words. Though he could have been on the bridge for this, he preferred to stay with his Marines. Somerset couldn't fault him for that. From behind and to his left, Kamarov made his report "Tactical ready for whatever happens, sair." Even though he couldn't see the wily Russian, he knew there was a smirk on his face. Kamarov would make another good Commander for GalCom someday. "Communications ready, sir." Jessica said, turning from her station and smiling at Somerset. Even though he new he shouldn't, Somerset smiled back. After what happened with his ex-wife he vowed to never get involved with a fellow officer again. Unfortunately, his resolve was teetering on the edge of collapse. And he came to the sudden realization that it would collapse, soon. A few minutes passed. There was still one more to hear from. The most important one. Finally over the intercom, he heard Shawn O'Malley call "Engineering to bridge. All checks complete. Ready for jump on your command. Let's get this show on the road." From the tone of his voice, he could hear the smile in the Irishman's voice. Soran turned from his post and reported "All decks and divisions report ready. We can jump at your command." With that, the first officer turned back to his station and finished securing systems for the jump. "Very well. Like Shawn said: Let's get this show on the road. Mr. Ishikawa, plot us a course to the Moon. Mr. Allen, steady as she goes. Lay the course in once it's completed. Jessica," he said, accidentally using her first name, "send a message to Base 4, and inform them we're proceeding with the hyperdrive test." All 3 of them said, "Aye, sir," and began performing their tasks. Soon, reports from them began coming in. "Course plotted." Ishikawa said, right before "Course laid in, sir," from Allen. He waited for the reply from Jessica. And waited... Finally, he asked "Did you get a reply from Base 4?" She looked over at him and slowly shook her head. "No, sir. I sent the message 5 times, and received no reply. Diagnostics indicate that the comm system is fully functional." "Well, it appears it isn't." Looking over at Ishikawa, he said "Where did you plot the course for, Hikaru?" The Navigator replied "Base 4, sir. Why?" "Because if we're having communications problems, that's the place to go. Good thing, or else I'd have you replot the course. Once we drop out of hyperspace, I want a Level 1 diagnostic on all communications systems. Internal, external, long and short range," he said. Their first problem, but at least it wasn't something that would destroy the ship. "Now, let's get moving. Mr. Allen," he said as he threw his hand forward, index finger pointing at the viewscreen "engage." They watched as the forces spun up the jump anomaly ahead of them. The ship shot forward and entered the domain where objects could travel faster than light. "Jump successful, sir. All systems nominal." Soran reported. So far, so good. The Moon grew closer, and closer in the viewscreen. Soon, they were able to see the terminal end of the anomaly. "Dropping out of hyperspace." Allen reported, as the ship slowed to sublight speed. "We should be within short range communications distance, sir." Jessica called from the comms post. "Attempting to contact Base 4. Base 4, this is the GCV Swiftsure, respond please. Base 4, this is the Swiftsure, respond please." Suddenly over the Commlink they heard, "This is Base 4, Swiftsure. Go ahead." Jessica replied "We're having long range communications difficulties. Could you have some Comm techs beam up and assist us in locating the problem?" Quickly responding the Base replied "Techs on the way, Swiftsure. Base 4, out." With that, the connection closed. "Somerset to Engineering. Part of the comm system is out. I want a Level 1 diagnostic and techs from the surface are beaming up to assist. Lt. Commander Michaelson, come to my ready room and report once you have the difficulties sorted out. Number One, you have the bridge." After completing his orders, Somerset headed into the ready room, got himself a cup of Earl Grey, and began to wait. Now what would he say when Jessica reported to him.... [/RP] ------------------ Cmdr. Benjamin Somerset GCV Swiftsure ICQ 32545391 "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us." -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV