NEW HORIZON: the Fleet Meeting

The immense amphitheater of Starbase Lotus main officers conference room was familiar to most officers called there; the officers of all the vessels serving in this most elite division of Starfleet. Yet, it was always impressive to find oneself in a room filled with hundreds and hundreds of uniformed Starfleet officers, all seated in superposed rows each identified to their current command assignment. 

The center part was occupied by the most numerous group, the hundreds of officers serving with Captain Kheren aboard the immense flagship USS Horizon. The holoimage of their imposing Lotus class design, classic shaped Starfleet vessel with saucer with lower hull and twin upward nacelles, floated over their head for all to admire. On their right was the much smaller crew of a dozen officers, including the mesmerizing  Deltan Doctor and Commander Elliago-Nasaro-Myth, his bald head only enhancing his masculine charm to even completely genetically incompatible females around him like the Andorians. He sat there as his last assignment  had been under the command of Captain Felez aboard the former flagship, the USS Lotus, the legendary Intrepid class design, monohulled ovoid saucer extending the flattened hull ending in a pair of short flattened nacelles also floating over them for all to see. On the left of the Horizon crew sat those serving aboard the USS Aurora of Commodore Brigham, Lotus fleet's Academy vessel, the oval saucer with underneath aft flat nacelles and large triangular pod on top image of a well-proven nebula class hovering above.

On that side of the vast circular chamber followed the officers of the USS Steamrunner of Captain Ramabai, name bearer of it's class of boxy, flattened catamaran escort vessel ; near them, those of the USS Wisconsin of Captain Onias, also a Nebula class starship; then those of the USS Republic of captain Wyatt, her Excelsior class venerable design  an obvious precursor of the state of the art Horizon; and finally the crew of Captain Speaker-Of-Names of the USS Pittsburg, like a much smaller and older version of the flagship with added engines on the top aft of her saucer.  

The Kzinti Captain, whose auburn fur was oddly illuminated by the holographic projection,  was flicking his rat-like tail back and forth behind him while speaking with the woman beside him, Commander Alani Bankoli, a woman whose ancestry could easily be traced back to Earth's ancient country of India. She was pulling back her black hair over her shoulder as Speaker told her, "You've sat in on our diplomatic sessions, but you will find that when you are in the fore-front," and here he clearly pronounced the hyphen, "things will be different. I feel like I am apologizing for relatives - and I suppose it is not an inaccurate thing to say. But. You must be aware they will not respect you. Always keep in mind that our females are little more than pets, and that colors our view. You were on Team-Rhetti. You, Captain-Rachele-Rivers, Lieutenant-Hattori-Airieko, and Commander-Evelyn-Ryan were constant reminders for me that things outside Kzinhome are not the same as on the Homeworld. None of my people were likewise-blessed." The Commander, and the security officer behind the Felinoid both nodded at this.

On the other side, beyond the people of the Lotus could be recognized Captain Jureth and the officers of the USS Alsea, Prometheus class, with her unique triangular upper hull and flat Intrepid-like secondary hull ending with two pairs of close-fitting nacelles; beside them, the towering, stoic red and blue scaled Saurian commander Schaell Scyshyllyss with the people of the reknowned Defiant class USS McKenzie serving with Captain Riker, the flat monohulled disc-shaped vessel so much smaller and different from any other Starfleet design; and beyond, the officers of the USS Spectre of Captain Summers, the saucer with lower nacelles and upper torpedo pod unmistakably one of the Akira class design. Finally came the latest crew of Lotus Fleet, that of Captain Syntron of the USS Phoenix, the image of the science-converted Avenger class starship looking almost like a giant version of the elongated monohulled Intrepid but with event proportionately smaller and fixed nacelles.

That's where sat science officer Jonathan X Livingstone; the X, as for anyone of his bird-like species standing for X'Ell, the ancient, reclusive inhabitants of the nearby Dyson shell in this Hromi sector. In his feathered mane blinked the brain implants that allowed him direct control over any electrical device nearby; but at the moment, it was blinking with his excitement and satisfaction at being in the presence of so many diverse sentient species all working in harmony towards spreading peace and gaining knowledge throughout the universe. That was what he was here for.

They were all facing the center stage forming a vast oval platform below them all. There, a slowly turning crescent-shaped table was waiting for the flag officers of Lotus Fleet to enter and commence the fleet briefing. Over the table, a vast tridimensional map of the milky way galaxy floated as if all the holoships were poised to enter it. Ever changing real-time data scrolled accross the sides of the luminous display, colors coded to specific data sets flashing among the stars as some were discovered, studied, patrolled, colonized or defended by Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets.

  Seated near the center right of the massive conference hall, David looked around the immense gathering of Lotus fleet personnel. He sat within the Lotus group where he was currently assigned, chief engineer and XO, with Captain Felez Connera'tu to his left. Further left was the very large crew of the USS Horizon, with the imposing figures of captain Kheren, tactical/security officer Tyvya and Doctor Lyrya dominating the center of the group with their taller physique's and antennae.

They had been assembled there for the past hour, refreshments served by on-duty yeomen when finally shimmered the familiar lights and colors of transporter beams. At the center table, the flag officers had arrived.

"Officers of Lotus Fleet; the C-in-C."

At the center stood a grey-haired, short-bearded Boslic man in a Rear Admiral's uniform. Everyone stood in the presence of Rear Admiral Kotari, Commandant of the Hromi sector and executive leader of Lotus Fleet. At his right stood a brown-skinned, dark-haired close-cropped bearded Hindu man wearing the pips of a Fleet captain; Allen Samji, executive officer of Lotus Fleet and commander of Starbase Lotus. At his left and a step behind stood the woman who had spoken at their arrival, a tall stately blonde human woman also sporting a red collar on her grey and black uniform, same as everyone else in the vast room, but with the three pips of a Commander. Starbase Exec karen Schmidt would act as command staff aide for the duration of the meeting.

Not one much on ceremony, Kotari spoke in a clear, curt voice that was easily picked up and reverberated to the farthest corner of the titanic room.

"As you were."

They all sat back. The meeting was about to proceed.

Sitting with his Alsea crew, including the uncharacteristically silent and subdued black Tellarite chief engineer and XO Marksus Sangliar,  Jureth couldn't help but wonder what crisis was coming this time. It seemed to him that when it came to Lotus Fleet the galaxy always seemed to be falling apart. He couldn't deny though that this group of captains and their ships were the finest in the fleet and since the first time he'd sat in this room as a green lieutenant he'd come to find himself at home with these people. Seated next to him, his security chief, Catherine Steele, must have read his mind somehow. 

"What fire do you think we'll be putting out this time?" she whispered

"I don't know...I haven't seen any reports about any major events."

"You know as well as I do that doesn't mean anything, I don't care what clearance you have now...Captain." 

Steele nudged him with her elbow as she said the last bit. The two had been friends since their academy days and Jureth had always told her that he never wanted command of a starship. Now that he had one Cat teased him every chance she got. 

"Nice combadge by the way," Steele said referring to the Bajoran emblem Oseno was wearing "I don't think that's regulation." 

"It was a gift from the Kai, I couldn't very well refuse." 

"Somehow I don't think anyone will write you up for it, but it looks like they're getting ready to tell us what race against time we have this week so we'd better shut up and listen." 

Oseno nodded and both turned their attention back to the flag officers at the table waiting for what Jureth was sure was yet another dire mission for the men and women of Lotus Fleet.

Back behind the Alsea crew, in fact back behind everyone sat a hulking figure in a Starfleet security uniform. He would have been out of place just about anywhere in charted space except perhaps in his former home of the Gamma Quadrant. Perhaps one of the oldest living Jem'Hadar ever, and the only one serving in Starfleet, Aron'Son sat merely observing everything that was happening in the room. This was his first time attending a Starfleet mission briefing of this scale and he wanted to watch and observe how these people of such diverse backgrounds interacted with each other. He currently had no assignment since returning from his detachment aboard the USS Spectre and did not feel it practical to join his former crew of the Horizon so he had opted to simply sit in the back of the room. 

Aron'Son still did not understand how the species of the Federation managed to coexist for as long as they had without an iron handed ruler such as The Founders. They were as varied as the stars all with different cultures, religious beliefs, and dispositions. Yet somehow they worked together, solved complex problems, won battles, and continued to exist without tearing themselves apart. They relied and inter-depended on each other in a way he would not have thought possible. Still here they were, and he wanted to learn more about how they did it.

No one had spoken to him since he'd arrived and he didn't really expect them to, nor did he care whether they did or not. His purpose was to follow orders, and to keep to his honor. The Dominion had abandoned him, he was dead, and they would say that his only redemption could be death in battle. Here though, he was finding that death in battle was not the only way. These beings had given him another way to reclaim his life as a soldier, and for that he would serve them as steadfastly as the most honorable Klingon. 

The heavy and overly clumsy sounds of foot steps approached from of his left side, Aron'Son realized almost instantly that the clumsy steps were for his benefit, so he would know someone was coming out of his view.

"Your welcome at our table Aron'Son, always a place for you on the Horizon if you want it." He said with a smile, the double meaning obvious.

With a shrug Redding continued on his way to the main table, to his crew.

Seated a couple chairs to the right of Aron'Son was another security officer, whose orange eyes followed Redding with mild interest until he had seated himself with the Horizon crew. She was tall, very tall, and moved with an odd, barely perceptible rhythmic fashion. The officers in the conference room who were Lotus Fleet veterans would quickly note her as a recent transfer from another division of Starfleet. She was Lieutenant junior grade Trea of the planet Relivar, a member of the Praxiar - a people the Federation had only come into contact with in recent years, notable for a number of reasons, but most memorably for being a species with only one surviving gender. This particular example of her species was being quiet, but clearly out of respect for the goings on about her. The small smile that ghosted across her lips as Redding spoke to the Jem'Hadar betrayed a sort of playful, upbeat nature.

"Finally, they're getting real women in Starfleet," Tyvya commented to both her captain and husband and her wife chief counselor Lyrya as she nodded in greeting to the Praxiar. The newcomer was even slightly taller than the Andorian giantess herself, also built like a powerful fighter and wearing the same pips and golden collar as her.

"You are not an easy one to replace," Kheren offered back.

"Why, you want to replace me?" she said in mock anger.

" You know what I mean," he shot back still serious and that sobered her.

Indeed she knew... like every other officer and crewmen of the Horizon that had previously served on the late, great starship USS Artemis. And she also knew, more than anyone else among them as she was a Starfleet security officer, that this conversation had to end then and there.