Lt. Commander Rivers' Arrival

USS Alsea, Lt. Commander Rivers' Quarters

Rachele Rivers gasped and startled awake, clutching her hands to her chest as it rose and fell sharply. With effort, she brought her hands down, smoothed them against her rumpled bedcovers, realizing both her skin and sheets alike had been dampened by sweat. She cursed, stumbled out of bed, and splashed her face at the sink, uncaring of the mess she made of the countertop. The first real rest she'd had since the battle with the Klingons, and somehow she felt worse than when she'd gone and collapsed onto the bed.

"Computer, time," she implored, breathlessly in the dark.

"The time is oh-five-fourteen hours," came the dutiful reply.

Too early. Far too early for such an important day. As she ran a towel through her hair and along her face she briefly toyed with the idea of just going back to bed. Almost as quickly, she discarded the idea as she peeled off her sweat-soaked sleepwear. As she pulled on her robe, cinching the belt tight across her waist, she closed her eyes and exhaled in frustration. "Klingons," she had muttered, for they had been the subject of her nightmares.

She padded about the room, restless for a moment longer before coming to a conclusion: only meditation could ease her frustrations.

Shortly after, plain candles lit the room, flickering slightly with each movement of the air currents. In through the nose, count to thirty. Out through the mouth, count to thirty. Steady your mind. clear your soul. A flash of phaser fire, the impact of a torpedo against the stark green Klingon hull. In through the nose, and exhale once more.

Echoes of her frustration tugged at her mind, tried to pull her away from her meditations. She was a combat veteran, so why did she feel like she'd killed her first man again? Jem'hadar, Romulans, Kzinti...she'd faced them all down. She took another deep breath in, exhaling with mental measure. Time ceased to exist as she sat there, wrestling with her inner demons, struggling to find peace.

"All hands, this is Lieutenant Oseno on the bridge. All senior officers are directed to report to Starbase Ten for a briefing by zero seven hundred, Oseno out."

Blue eyes shot open, one hand leapt to her chest once more to feel her heart pounding. It had been so quiet, her mind so wrapped around this latest mental wound of hers that the broadcast had startled her worse than a trainee on their first live fire exercise.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, grumbling as she checked the time: 0615. Still time for a sonic shower if she hurried.

Starbase 10, General Conference Room

The doors swished open to admit Lt. Commander Rivers, who strode in quickly. Clasped in her right hand was her personal PADD, currently displaying the time: 0654. She hadn't had much time to work with her hair, so today her red locks were pulled into a simple ponytail held in place with a metal clip styled after the standard Starfleet combadge. Her blue eyes widened briefly as she looked around the room, taking in all of the command crews already there.

This would be a briefing unlike anything she'd seen since the Borg.

As Rivers was taking in the scene before her, it was interrupted by the familiar visage of Fleet Captain Samji approaching her with a smile and a nod, "Commander, it is good to see you back and in one piece. I was quite enamoured reading the report of your run-in with Klingons. Good work."

Samji continued. "Your ship is well represented so far," he said, gesturing to the grouping of Josh and Jureth, as well as Niomo. "Will the good Captain Siduri be joining us soon? I would like to personally extend my praise to him as well."

Rivers brow creased with worry while her gaze lingered on Niomo. "No sir. I checked in on him before I arrived. Captain Siduri's condition worsened overnight." She paused, at a loss for what to add to that, it seemed, but finally, she switched subjects. "Gold uniform. He's our replacement for Mr. Lan? Not Betazoid I hope?" she asked, alluding to Lan's warp core intoxication - a condition that left the Alsea without a chief engineer during the fight.

"That's troubling," Samji frowned. "I hope his recovery is swift."

"I think it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that you'll have to take on the role of Acting Captain for now." Lt. Commander Rivers nodded, and continued listening.

Samji continued to address her other subject with less malaise. Looking again to Niomo, he said, "He is, and no he's not... that is to say Lieutenant Commander Niomo Lire is your replacement Chief Engineer, but he is not Betazoid. Italian, I believe."

"As to your Acting XO, it is your choice, but I would recommend Oseno Jureth. Although he outranks Mister Oseno, Oseno's experience with both the ship and the crew is a plus. Additionally, Mister Lire has expressed his desire to stay clear of command for the foreseeable future. I doubt he will raise much of an objection."

Samji looked at the chronometer and said in parting, "It is nearing our meeting time, so I will let you get settled." The redhead nodded in agreement, only adding, "Oseno was my first choice as well, since the Captain made him Second Officer."