A Nordic Welcome I

Posted on Wed Oct 7th, 2020 @ 10:13am by Lieutenant JG Kevin Lance & Captain Mystery Ellis & Commander Jamie O'Connell

Mission: By Odin!
Location: USS Independence
Timeline: Current

The senior staff was assembled on the deck of the shuttlebay. Lieutenant Lance was conferring with the Gunnery Sergeant in charge of the honor guard and Lieutenant Maida was checking with the Shuttlebay Manager about the shielding over the opening to the shuttlebay that held the atmosphere in but would permit the O-D-K shuttle to pass through.

"Tactical to Lance," the voice of the Assistance CTO came over Kevin's comm badge, "The O-D-K shuttle has departed their ship and is five minutes out."

"Affirmative," Kevin responded as he walked over to Lieutenant Curillo.

Jaime was standing in a position to observe the approach of the O-D-K shuttle. As it came closer, he observed the craft in greater detail. The O-D-K shuttle was long and narrow, barely three meters wide. As it approached, Jamie could see thin energy fields extending from the sides, moving in a backwards and forwards oscillating motion.

Although, Jamie was a little taken back when he saw their shuttle approaching the Bay; he hadn't imagined that the O-D-K had advanced this far so soon to have built a shuttle besides a Ship. Although the energy fields did look promising considering the way his Department had planned to speed up the escorting process; if indeed their Ship used the same tech as the shuttle, which it probably did.

As the O-D-K shuttle closed the final 100 meters, the craft slowed and the energy fields dissipated. Eventually, the front of the O-D-K shuttle landed softly on the shuttlebay deck with half of the craft inside the protective force field. After a moment, the nose of the craft opened like a clam shell and out marched twenty O-D-K warriors.

The O-D-K were bulky on a scale that made Kevin think of a thrusterball team. Their outfits were a hodgepodge of furs, metals, and somethings that look like ceramics, and were as unique as the individuals themselves. The males all had braided beards and the females had long hair braided in a similar fashion. Each was adorn with a wide array of hand weapons from large battle axes, through short broad swords, down to small daggers and carried large, round shields. All of them wore hats of some sort, mostly small and made from a non-descript animal fur, but a few had larger hats with more adornment. They formed up in a double line forming a corridor from their ship while two others set up a huge gong next to the portway.

Once the commotion settled, four more O-D-K exited the ship and one of the warriors stuck the gong with a hammer. The sound reverberated through the shuttlebay, setting Kevin's teeth on edge. One of the four who exited the ship was an elderly man with a very tall and ornate hat next to a much younger woman with a shorter hat in a plainer style. Behind them were two unarmed O-D-K in almost identical dark blue robes with three bright gold interlocking triangles on the chest. Suddenly, almost without warning, the elderly man shouted, “HEY! Nize Het!”

Kevin turned to look in the direction that the elderly O-D-K had shouted and saw that Ambassador Baer had entered the shuttlebay accompanied by Captain Ellis. The Ambassador was wearing a formal green suit with a cream color shirt and on his head was a hat but Kevin never would have described it as nice. It was a stovepipe hat that the ancient Earth politician Abraham Lincoln might have worn but extremely tall, almost as tall as the Ambassador. It was the same green color as the suit but had Federation symbols sown into the fabric. Garlands of olive branches and peace lilies circled the brim of the hat, two mechanical latinum doves flew around middle, and holographic fireworks exploded out of the top.

The hat was so outrageous that Kevin almost missed that the ambassador had grown a long, luxurious black beard that was braided like the O-D-K. Kevin was astonished, his duties all but forgotten as he watched the ambassador walk up to the O-D-K. “As the representative of the Federation, I welcome you aboard the USS Independence,” he announced, “I am Ambassador Baer.” The Ambassador and the O-D-K elder reached out and gave each other’s beard a firm tug. At that moment, O-D-K warrior struck the gong again.

“Yoo haf a gut greep,” the O-D-K elder complimented the Ambassador. The Universal Translator was able to interpret their language but could do nothing about the accent. “Hambezzador Baer, I am Storhatten Karrel Larasson. Und deese eez mine Keptan Astra Karrelsdotter.’

“Pleezed to meet you,” said Astra as she pulled on the Ambassador’s bread. GONG! The Ambassador yanked on one of the braids in Astra’s hair before saying, “This is the commanding officer of the USS Independence, Captain Mystery Ellis.”

"Ambassador it's a pleasure to have you aboard my ship," Mystery said giving the ambassadors beard a yank. The Storhatten reached around a gave a tug on Mystery's braid as well. GONG. Astra did the same. GONG. Then she awaited Mystery's response.

Mystery gave Astra's braid a tug "Ambassador I'm sure you must have questions. How may I be of service to you?" But the Storhatten was already in conversation with the Ambassador.

“So, yoo kepten deese big sheep?” Astra asked, “How do pipple know yoo is de kepten? You hef no het.”

Mystery chose her response carefully "I answer to an admiral, he placed me in command of this ship and I informed my officers and crew when I took over as the captain that I was in charge, not them. They know my word is final, and when I give an order I expect it to be followed."

Astra's face wrinkled in concentration, "Deedn't desse Hadmiral give you a het?"

"I'm sure he will next time I see him in person, my promotion to captain was done over a video call," Mystery replied.

Astra considered the translation of Mystery's words, then shrugged. "Die Spinner die Federalers," she muttered, a phrase that the Universal Translator was unable to interpret.

Storhatten Karrel turned to Astra and said, "De Hambassador sez det he needs von of us to hundergo an exhamination.”

“Jungfru!” Astra called out.

A tall, blonde woman stepped up from the formation, “Yez, mine Keptan?”

Deese iz Jungfru Börsdotter, mine maiden,” Astra explained, then to the Jungfru she said, “You vill go mit deese pipple und let dem hexperiment on yoo.”

“Yez mine Keptan,” the Jungfru replied, tugging on one of her own braids. GONG!

Ambassador Baer spoke to Mystery, "I believe that you mentioned that you wanted to inspect the Odinskusinerdreimalentferntwurdier ship?"