[snip]

Glen agreed and followed Rogers as he directed to the Briefing Room. “You mentioned several times now about a lack of time. When a man has little time, he must take care to maintain his calm. We must act as if we had eternity before us.” While Glen told him, he looked at his XO, a man who really did have eternity before him.

As the turbolift left the group out onto the Avenger’s bridge they were soon being lead to the ship’s mission briefing room. “..Eternity in some cases waits for no man, Captain..” Rogers said.

Entering the briefing room Rogers indicated to each person present. “..May I present my senior staff. My XO and chief engineer Commander Stark,” Indicating a Deltan male with dark rimmed glasses. Then next”..My Chief Science Officer Junior Lieutenant Parker,” He said to a young early 20s human man, he then indicated another pair of humans, “..Lieutenant Doctor Strange and my Weapons officer Lieutenant Banner..” He said.

Kord gave a polite nod to each as they were named.

Each nodded, “..Greetings Captain, and Commander.” They said in their own ways before taking their seats.

Glen thought their names seemed somehow familiar, but he didn’t think he had met any of them before today. He imagined that the CE was a real tech guy, and he could see that he wouldn’t want to make the Weapons officer angry.

“I am Captain John T Glen of the USS Merrimack,” Glen replied, “and this is my number one, my XO, Kord.” After the formalities were over, Glen took one of the available seats that remained.

Kord gave a slight bow before taking position standing just behind Glen’s right shoulder.

“I’m afraid that you have us at a severe disadvantage, Captain Rogers,” Glen continued. “We responded to a distress call, and we rescued your ship from a firefight with Orion frigates, but there seems to be no immediate emergency anymore, and you have also turned down our offer of medical and engineering assistance. You have certainly piqued our interest in what it is that you mean to propose to us. I’m not at all happy about remaining in this particular location, within this sector, for very long. Both the Orion presence and the high number of small erratic celestial objects in this planetary system, is ringing alarm bells with my own COS, so I’m as keen as you seem to be to get on with this business.”

“Kord,” said Captain Glen discretely, “please sit down, just this once! You know how it makes people uncomfortable. I want this done and over with quickly.”

-Glen, CO