Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Hercules Kahuna (Weapons Officer) in Stella Making A Clean Sweep!
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The miscellaneous items were all scanned in, categorized and stuffed into the empty torpedo casings. Ready to be jettisoned.

“My granny told me never to air my dirty laundry in public,” Kahuna said, “but if this is what the senior officers want us to do, who are we to disagree?”

Stella just laughed before she turned to leave and said with a smile. ” I know right? I think that first officer we have is a nut myself. It was his idea you know. I guess as long as the captain says it’s okay it’s okay.”

“We should let him know that we are ready to begin the launch of the first torpedo,” Lt. Kahuna said.

Stella paused a moment and then shrugged. ” Sure thing! ” She responded with a smile. =/- ” Captain, this is Lieutenant Gagnon. Mister Kahuna says that we’re ready to fire when ready!”=/\=

=/\= Bridge here. Captain Glen speaking. Excellent work Lt. Tell Kahuna to begin the slow release of the materials.... Sorry, there’s been a change of plan and we are going to send the stuff out without a torpedo casing first, to save them for later. So, slowly does it too. I suggest a few items every thirty minutes. Is that all clear/ =/\=

=/\= Clear as fresh polished crystal captain sir! =/\= Stella peeped. =/\= The Big Kahuna is pulling out the casings now, and I’m loading in the rest back into the tubes. We have one tube ready. Let us know when you want us to go sir! =/\=

=/\= You may eject the first load right away! =/\= Glen replied.

After hearing the captains go ahead Stella turned to Kahuna and gave him the thumbs up He checked the seals on the tube and then hit the fire button above it. The sound of escaping air filled the room as the refuse went on its way to its destiny.

A little while later after Kahuna and Stella had almost finished congratulated each other on a job well done, they heard several more Comms from and to the Bridge.

=/\= Sharp from security dept to bridge.....we have located a torpedo which seems very familiar to ours and the ship is stirring its way behind it ........someone please acknowledge ?=/\=.

=/\= Requesting verification,=/\= the COS said calmly, already opening a secure channel. =/\= I want confirmation on origin, chain of custody, and transport authorization. If there’s a casing onboard that wasn’t declared, I need to know how it got here—and who signed off on it. =/\=

=/\= Good Morning, Sir. Fleegman here! Sharp is repeating the sensor sweep scan cycle in case of spectrographic artifacts caused by the fluctuating power supply. If it’s real, he will triangulate the exact torpedo tube point of origin. =/\=

=^=Good morning Crewman , that would be helpful, thankyou , while I have you on the comms, please have teams situated in the shuttle bays and the torpedo bay, make sure they are armed and have the helmsman and comms officer sent back to the bridge=^= Thalos told Guy.

=/\= Yes Sir, Understood =/\= replied Guy.

“Well, it certainly can’t be one of ours, can it?” Hercules asked Stella. “I unpacked it, and you only ejected the rubbish, right?”

Stella was busy dusting off no one probably knew what from her uniform as she looked up at Kahuna and said with a laugh. ” That’s the only thing I put in any tubes and I have the filth on my hands and knees to prove it! I’m going to have to get a clean uniform before I go back to the bridge. I can’t ger abducted by big mean monsters looking like this! Thanks for the help, Kahuna! ” She said as she turned to leave.

Behind Kahuna and Gagnon, a little known Ensign gulped to himself and tried to disappear. Hoping the incident would be brushed under the rug.

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Kahuna couldn’t believe that Gagnon had just left, to leave him to answer the new COS alone. He turned and began to check the logs. It appeared that Stella had unpacked all of the dirty materials from the torpedo casing just as she said, and she had launched the dirty matter but hadn’t launched the casing. However, just a little later after they left and would have been busy talking together, the empty torpedo casing had indeed been launched. Some further checking gave the authorisation code as belonging to an Ensign Recondite, a fresh Academy recruit who had only just come aboard at DS-K5. Obviously, a mistake had been made and as Weapons Officer, Kahuna had to take responsibility for that.

=/\= Kahuna to the Bridge. I can confirm that an empty torpedo casing has been launched from the Merrimack by accident. I’m still investigating how that was possible, but I take full responsibility and I offer my resignation as Weapons Officer, Sir! =/\=

• Kahuna, Weapons

=^= Bridge here. It will be for the Captain or the XO to determine any disciplinary action. =^=” His voice remained level, neither harsh nor indulgent. “=^= That said, I do acknowledge—and respect—that you are willing to take responsibility. =^

Kahuna went off to find Ensign Recondite.

• Kahuna, Weapons

“Er— Kahuna,” Thalos began evenly, correcting himself without emphasis, “the XO has indicated that the matter is forgiven. He also mentioned he would be willing to stand you a drink—provided the missing warhead belonging to that torpedo case is located.”

He allowed a brief pause to settle, antennae angling almost imperceptibly as he studied the compartment and its personnel. The calm exterior held, but his mind was already mapping responsibility and procedure.

“Do we know,” he continued, tone measured but firm, “who originally signed off on the shipment of that empty torpedo case?”

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

It was not too hard to find the lost Ensign. He was in the torpedo storage area doing an inventory count in penance. He saw Kahuna enter the bay and gulped and sighed to himself. Setting the inventory padd down, straightened his shoulders and faced Kahuna.
“It was my fault, sir. I..uh accidentally knocked the torpedo casing out. I didn’t see until after it was gone that the orders had changed. I panicked, I didn’t know what to do.”

Ensign Recondite
GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Thalos held the Ensign’s gaze for another moment, ensuring the lesson had settled.

“You will not be formally reprimanded,” he said at last, voice level. “The XO has shown leniency, and I will honor that.”

Antennae angled slightly forward — not aggression now, but focus.

“However, corrective training will be assigned.”

He stepped closer to the torpedo casing, resting a gloved hand lightly against the cold duranium.

“For the next two weeks, you will report to Torpedo Control one hour before your scheduled shift. You will conduct a full inventory verification of all photon torpedoes, casings, and associated components. You will personally cross-reference physical stock with computer records and submit the report to me directly.”

His tone sharpened, not raised — the difference mattered.

“You will also review Starfleet Ordnance Handling Protocols, Sections Four through Nine, and I expect you to brief me on them at the end of this period.”

A brief pause.

“Mistakes teach. Avoiding responsibility weakens an officer. You will choose which path defines you.”

He straightened.

“Dismissed, Ensign. And see that the warhead is located.”

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack

“Locating the warhead will not be necessary, Sir!” Kahuna told the COS. “The casing was one of the 25 unequipped casings that we always hold in our standard payload. It was the same empty casing that Lt. Gagnon and I had filled with the junk, and then emptied again. I signed off on it’s launch based upon my original orders, before the Captain had decided that it was better to launch the junk without any casing instead. However, I neglected to remove the original launch codes from the arming console, Sir! I take full responsibility. The Ensign was certainly a little eager, that is all!”

• Kahuna, Weapons

Thalos let out very minute sigh

“Very well, Mister Kahuna. We will let the matter lie.”

His tone was smooth, neutral — professionally composed. To any casual observer, the issue was closed.

But beneath the calm exterior, tension coiled.

Thalos was accustomed to clarity in the chain of command. In the Imperial Guard, accountability had not been optional, nor softened. Errors were corrected immediately and decisively. Here, aboard a Federation starship, discipline seemed… tempered. Negotiated.

His antennae shifted slightly backward — the only outward sign of irritation — before he consciously stilled them.

Everyone appeared reluctant to allow firm correction. Very well. He would adapt.

For now.

He would not undermine the Captain or the XO. Unity on the command level was paramount. But he made a quiet mental note: standards aboard the Merrimack would be sharpened — carefully, properly, within regulation.

He looked back to Kahuna.

“Ensure the inventory is reconciled and logged. I expect no further irregularities.”

A beat.

“Dismissed.”

As the Ensign moved off, Thalos remained still a moment longer, considering.

Starfleet did not require harshness.

But it did require strength.

And he intended to ensure it had it.

Lieutenant Thalos ch’Ravik
Chief Of Security
USS Merrimack