STF

The Odyssey: Among the Stars

Posted July 11, 2020, 1:05 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Nash (Chief Tactical Officer) (David Shotton)

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in The Odyssey: Among the Stars

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Nash (Chief Tactical Officer) in The Odyssey: Among the Stars

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in The Odyssey: Among the Stars

Nash settled into the pilots seat beside Revna. The space in the Odyssey wasn’t designed like a Runabout, it was much closer so that their arms nearly touched. Behind the seats the space was made more for storage, although one small cot was able to fold down to provide one of the crew with a space to stretch out, the seats sliding back to allow a person to access the space behind them if needed.

Revna was, not quite, fascinated by the shuttle. “When I sailed at home I preferred smaller boats, that don’t require several people to handle it. Though, unlike Runa, I like having the computer controls. Runa can sail anything.” She smiles thinking about her twin.

With a touch of the console the hatches swung shut of their own accord and sealed tight. The entire interior seemed minimalistic around the cockpit with the controls all centred on the console in front of them, which in itself was narrow and made to be as unobtrusive as possible. The shuttles view forward seemed narrow, with not much of a view from the forward port and none from the sides at all. There was enough however, and the sound of the ships impulse engine humming into life could be felt as well as heard.

Revna rested her head back and listened, “Every ship has her own voice. Distinct from all the others. It doesn’t matter if she sails on a sea made of water or space.” The Odyssey had a beautiful sound, almost as if she was purring with happiness to be out sailing again. Revna chuckled to herself. Her father used to say things like that, when he would take them sailing.

Nash glanced over at Revna as the hangar doors opened for them, he had placed the basket behind them on the empty space. “We have some time to explore,” Nash told her, his hands moving over the controls and the shuttle lifting from the deck. It was smooth, and evidently the shuttle produced a large power to weight ratio and was highly responsive. “How about a pass around the ship before we find a picnic spot?”

Lt Cmdr Nash, CTO

She watched him expertly control the shuttle as it lifted off. She’d sailed ships using a computer console, but never a shuttle. She’d…well she hadn’t wanted to. “I would love for you to make a pass around. She sounds like she’d like to stretch her legs a bit,” she said about the shuttle.

“Done,” Nash said quietly and the Odyssey glid smoothly out of the hangar and into space around the massive Starship. All at once, the small size of the Odyssey was apparent against the empty blackness of space and the massive hull of the Atlantis.

But Revna was suddenly unsure of what she was doing. Nash, well he had a certain reputation on board. She hadn’t gone asking, but when she was listening trying to figure out how best to approach him, finding out about the bar stool, she’d heard. Not that she had a problem with it. There were no real complaints, just disappointments. But Revna, she’d tried the “fling” thing, and it wasn’t for her. But all this seemed rather…much? for a fling. And once again, without even trying, she was confused and unsure. She felt like he was on that bar stool again asking her about gaps, and there not being any.
Lt. Edman, Counselor

“I know the forward view is a little restrictive,” Nash said as their shuttle turned to follow the curve of the hull, “but the Odyssey has a neat little trick,” he glanced at her and smiled. His hand moved from the control to the console and he activated a few keys in sequence. All at once, the walls of the interior of the Odyssey vanished, and in their place was nothing but the space around them. It was like the interior had become one giant view screen and Revna and Nash were sitting in chairs in the middle of space, a console in front of them and an unobstructed view almost all around them. To the rear the view tapered off and they could still see the shuttle interior behind them, but the view now was something stunning.

Revna started to tell him that the view was fine as long as he could see to pilot it and then....she was sitting in the middle of the nebula, or it felt like it. She was taken totally by surprise, and grabbed his hand. The shock made her heart race, or maybe it had nothing to do with the Odyssey’s little trick. Either way, she was in awe. She spoke softly not really aware she was saying exactly what she was thinking, “If this is what happens when you tell me to trust you, I think I’m in trouble in a very good way.” Revna just watched, the view was incredible. The lights just weren’t outside the window now they were inside the shuttle, dancing across the interior.

The Atlantis was revealed in full unobstructed view, and Nash piloted the shuttle close to her, following the hull. The two of them could even see people in Ten Forward looking out the view ports at their small shuttle. “So, how about that picnic?” Nash grinned, “I know a good spot.”

Lt Cmdr Nash

She watched the Atlantis go by, struck again by the sheer size of her. The Atlantis was impressive, but she preffered the Odyssey. She nodded in answer to Nash’s question, too busy watching the nebula.
Lt. Edman

The sound of the Odyssey’s engine changed slightly as Nash turned her away from the Atlantis and straight towards the Nebula. It was still a long way away of course and the Odyssey only flew on impulse, but even so the power of the little ship was barely contained by the inertial dampeners and they could both feel the acceleration as the little ship sped away from the huge Starship and into the void between her and the expanse in front of them. The ship was clearly made to feel like she was accelerating, she was designed to fly or as it were at that moment, to sail between the stars in the depths laid out before them.

Nash flew in silence for a few moments as the Odyssey quickly left the Atlantis behind them, very soon just Nash and Revna sat in the middle of space in front of a cloud of colours as the Nebula pulsed and shifted before them. The walls of the Odyssey allowed the colours to reflect on the inside as well, and even though they were nowhere near it in real terms, it very much felt like they were sitting in a small boat rocking on an ocean of purple and copper star stuff as the Odyssey powered down to a stop and held position.

Revna gazed out at the color and light. Her voice soft, the view too incredible to interrupt with loud voices, “I know you said you never really visited Earth. This like the Northern Lights over the North Sea. It makes me just a bit homesick.” She looked over at him and smile, “In a good way though.” She took in his profile while he piloted the shuttle. “In case I neglected to tell you, you look rather dashing tonight.” She glanced back out the window…view screen, who cared. She loved it.

“You got me on my good side,” Nash quipped and glanced at her as he moved his hands over the console, locking everything down so the two of them could relax. Then, he folded the console forwards and in its place slid out a small tray. Clearly designed for refreshments.

She didn’t think he had a bad side. Nash might want people to think he was scary, but she knew from ten-forward, his eyes told a much different story. But she left it alone, for now.

“Here we are,” Nash turned and looked at her, the colours dancing off of her skin and the coppery tone of her hair blending with the lights. “Best seat in the house, luckily I knew the guy who had these front row tickets.” He reached behind him and took hold of the basket, pulling it back onto his lap and opening the lid slightly, looking inside. Reaching in, Nash pulled out a can of drink, just one of the ‘delicacies’ inside. It was nothing fancy, no wine, no cocktails. Just a can of soda with the word ‘Solo’ written on the side of it.

Lt Cmdr Nash

“Well how lucky for me, that you knew a guy,” she smiled, it reaching her eyes and lighting them up. She watched him open the basket, when he set the Solo can out she started laughing. It filled the little shuttle, but didn’t last long and ended with an “ow.”

“You don’t miss anything, do you?” she asked.
Lt. Edman

“Not much,” he laughed lightly. “It’s all in the details, at the bar you asked for the drink I suggested or a Solo. You clearly like it so, that’s our drink for the evening.” Still going through the basket he took out a second can of Solo and two small tubs of ice cream, and spoons. The labeling on the side identified the tubs as chocolate chip cookie dough, and he set them on the small tray and slid the basket back behind the two of them.

“I’m assuming you like chocolate?” Nash said as he passed her a tub and a spoon. “Everybody likes chocolate, right?” His tone was light, but the question sounded slightly like he was asking something that was critical, he even had an eyebrow slightly raised to emphasize how important it was, along with a very slight, almost imperceptible smirk.

Lt Cmdr Nash

He looked so serious about the ice cream. She LOVED chocolate, who didn’t? Seriously it was desert perfection, no matter how you made it, but she just couldn’t resist. She shrugged a single shoulder. “That’s what people say. I’ve never understood how it’s so popular.” She opened the tub he handed her and picked up a spoon, “I’ll just have to suffer through it.” She was trying really hard, if she looked right at him, she was going start laughing again. She scooped a large spoonful out and glanced over at him and grinned mischievously. “I’m kidding. I LOVE chocolate. I could eat it at every meal. And it’s cookie dough. Which happens to be my favorite.” She ate some of the ice cream off the spoon. “What did you do, look at my replicator logs?” She chuckles a little because if he did, he’d know she ate it WAY too much.
Lt. Edman

“Not in the slightest,” Nash grinned, “everybody loves chocolate and cookie dough is the best. If you didn’t like it, I’d likely have to emergency transport you out of here and claim self defence.” He deadpanned the last part, but pulled the cap off of his tub and stuck his own spoon into the chocolate. He paused a moment though as he inspected his one for the biggest lump of cookie dough he could find.

“Do you see that cloud arm there?” Nash pointed to one of the numerous clouds in the Nebula with his spoon, a chunk of cookie dough on it that he noticed after he pointed, then paused and ate before continuing. “That one looks like Admiral Perkins after Mardusk squeezed his hand too hard in a handshake.”

Lt Cmdr Nash, CTO


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