Kyhid Zohl: | Morning light spreads across Starfleet Academy’s quad. Cadets are running for class, banners stir in the breeze, and the grounds stand quiet in anticipation for another reason. +
Kyhid Zohl: | The delegation from Tren’Ganis has arrived. Robes shimmer blue and black-against golden skin. At the centre walks Prelate Hassin, a saurionoid with a curious, composed look to him. +
Kyhid Zohl: | Alongside him the rest of the so called ‘tour group’ arrives. Most having been ordered to attend for one reason or another.
Prelate Hassin: Captain Zohl I presume? Hassin steps forward “Tren’Ganis offers its gaze to your place of learning. It is clean. Ordered. The sky here is… generous.”
Prelate Hassin: Live Long and Prosper.
Prelate Hassin: gives a Vulcan Salute to Kyhid Zohl.
Prelate Hassin: tries to do the Vulcan sign for greeting, but fails…
Kyhid Zohl: Welcome Prelate, welcome all, to Starfleet Academy
Kyhid Zohl: On behalf of the Federation, I extend that welcome to your full delegation. We’re pleased to share this place with you.
Kyhid Zohl: As we are for our wider guests Zohl nods to those behind the Prelate
Nalys: squints as the pair materialize on the planet. Then her eyes adjust, and she takes a deep breath and a look around. For a moment, she doesnt even seem to be paying attention to the delegation, so -
Kyhid Zohl: turns to Nolla, and whispering asks “Did you catch who they were again?”
Nalys: - thankfully the Prelate was taking most of the attention, as she continues to be somewhat distracted. “Likewise, I’m sure.”
Prelate Hassin: steps aside to observe the conversation
R’Rowu: seems to rather enjoy being on a planet once more, even more so since it’s the Starfleet Academy on earth, a place she does hold fond memories off. She shares a happy, yet polite smile
Kyhid Zohl: I know many of us are here for slightly different reasons, so I will begin by clarifying the purpose of our tour. +
Kyhid Zohl: … It is foremost to show what a real snapshot of life is like within one of Starfleet’s key institutions of learning and officer-making..
Kyhid Zohl: tries to remember the hastily rehearsed lines his XO prepared for him
Kyhid Zohl: nods again to both the Caitian and the Romulan in turn, but moves his focus somewhat back to the Prelate
Kyhid Zohl: To do so, we shall take a short tour around the primary campus. Our tour will take us across the central grounds, including the parade fields, memorials, the view of the bay, before visiting +
R’Rowu: is somewhat unhappy with the choice of words the Andorian took but is professional enough to just play along.
Kyhid Zohl: … visiting the Commandant, and perhaps a few other places and people, should there be time. We’ll gladly wrap things up with a social in Club 602 - the Academy’s finest establishment.
Kyhid Zohl: For those of you who haven’t met me before… Zohl continues slowly as if trying to remember a name and buy time
Nalys: ’s pupils fixate on Kyhid now and then. She seems content to let him dig his own grave, and the smile of bemusement is hard to miss. But her eyes seem to go all over the grounds all the same -
Prelate Hassin: begins to notice the pause…
Nalys: - Following the movements of the students, trailing up to the upper floors, into the windows, and generally taking in details that are seemingly quite boring.
Kyhid Zohl: I am Captain Kyhid Zohl of the USS Tykera. I am joined to my right by Captain Nolla, of the Federation Diplomatic Corps.. Office of Linguistics I believe Zohl turns to confirm
Nolla: nods slightly.
Kyhid Zohl: urges the good Captain to expand a little
Nolla: smiles. "Greetings all, I’m here to assist with any technical language issues and clarifications. she repeats the statement in both romulan and cait
Nolla: If needed I can use federation standard sign as well.
Nalys: I believe we all have universal translators, but the courtesy is appreciated.
R’Rowu: twitches her ears slightly as her mother tongue is spoken. She seems rather surprised but at the same time bewildered
Kyhid Zohl: | Prelate Hassin’s brow flattens slightly, a gesture of interest. He steps forward, eyes roaming the nearby statues and drill paths. +
Prelate Hassin: Many firm buildings, strong lines. But I wonder… what is…baked.. here? What is made inside the thinkbox..? oh… how do you say these words?
Nolla: smiles. The classrooms? The academy students are trained in a wide variety of subjects related to the mission of starfleet.
Nalys: Knowledge, I believe.
Kyhid Zohl: | It becomes clear that the language of the Tren’Ganis species is not fully coded to the Universal Translators and may come across a bit… rough in places
Prelate Hassin: uh, yes… knowledge
Kyhid Zohl: nods and looks at Nolla quizically
Nolla: leans over. "standard glitching. He’s curious about whats taught here. who learns here I believe.
Kyhid Zohl: Yes.. indeed. So shall we begin, I should hope to speed you all to your next appointments in due course, but for now, our tour. We shall begin with where we stand…
Nalys: quizzically looks down at the logo.
Prelate Hassin: Yes, I mean the shaping of knowledge The… learning? It is early still for the machine to hold my words.
Kyhid Zohl: A fair question, Prelate. Take this space, the quad… it is more than a courtyard. It is the heart of the Academy.+
Nolla: adjusts her com badge a bit.
Kyhid Zohl: Every officer starts here. They march it, run it, fall on it, argue across it, and sometimes sleep under the stars above it. +
Kyhid Zohl: can recall some or most of all of these things… especially the last…
Kyhid Zohl: It is where the habits of Starfleet begin. Not just rules or knowledge.. but how we carry ourselves, how we mesh with other species and their cultures.
Prelate Hassin: looks curiously at Zohl and asks “Are we to see this, meshing of the cadets, on the tour?” He looks a bit uncomfortable
Nolla: nods. "If you would like we can. Some classes are more open than others of course.
Nalys: glances over at R’Row and murmurs lowly. “Do you have intense memories of this square, Lieutenant, or is that more of a..Sales pitch?”
Prelate Hassin: stares now curiously at Nolla and says “… On my world… two people mesh only when their intent is to produce offspring.. this is most curious indeed”
R’Rowu: can’t help but grin at the misunderstandings unfolding in front of her
Nolla: smiles. "Ah, No. That would be different.
Nolla: What we mean in this case, learning, the passing of knowledge from one to another.
Prelate Hassin: Though also on my world, meshing can take several days to complete
Nalys: ..Several day-..I think this is more xenobiology then I signed up for today.
R’Rowu: looks towards Nal and whispers back “It certainly is a place you come across daily…can’t say I slept on it though.”
Prelate Hassin: I am not sure I will have the time to observe your cadet’s meshing on this trip
Nolla: nods. "Again, that would be an entirely different thing.
Prelate Hassin: seems to understand they have been talking about different things…
Kyhid Zohl: Yes… eh, thank you Captain (Nolla)… We ‘shape’ officers here. But more than that, we give them the space to ask what kind of officers they want to become.
Kyhid Zohl: Before we move on, Commander Nalys is it? I wonder how this compares to the way officers are shaped in the Republic these days, if you might have a view?
Kyhid Zohl: I imagine the systems are… newer. Perhaps more adapted to the needs of the Republic at present? Or perhaps much more similar than I imagined?
Prelate Hassin: takes the opportunity to update his Universal Translator firmware as he receives a ping about a new translation matrix being available. This is the 7th ping today with a new reivision.
Nalys: ’s eyes immidiately snap to Kyhid. She seems deeply surprised that he remembered her name, and she couldnt help but smile a bit.
Nalys: I havn’t seen much of the actual Academy yet, but I’m sure officers are shaped -very- differently in the republic. The Republic is going through a time of change right now.
Nalys: Ancient academies teach in time honoured ways honed for thousands of years. Discipline is rigid, uniformity is everywhere. …And others are trained on board ships, or in outdoor teaching tents on -
Nalys: - far flung colonies as former rebels are merged with career officers.
Prelate Hassin: What is it ‘changing’ to? asks Hassin, taking the expression very literally and perhaps not catching the full meaning of the term in use
Nalys: I believe our people are currently working on building a new, Republic Fleet Academy on New Romulus..And I am as excited as anyone to see what shape that will take. What teachings it will have.
Nalys: Ah..We do not know yet either.
Prelate Hassin: seems amused
Nolla: leans over to Kyhid and whispers
Kyhid Zohl: A Republic Academy on New Romulus. That will be some great sight to behold I am sure. I imagine its first students will graduate with quite the footing for duty.
Nolla: =w= do not use mesh. its a reference to intercoiurse for them. They pushed another update out for him but its still rough.=w=
Nalys: You have no idea, Captain..You’re aware the Republic came about as a mix of career officers, rebels from the farming colonies, and Remans? The new Academy is going to have to merge all of that into -
Nalys: - one way of doing things. These are exciting times to be a teacher.
Kyhid Zohl: ’s eyes widen a bit… just the sort of thing that is likely to be noted on the summary report for the tour
Kyhid Zohl: =w= Ice and winds! Thanks… let’s hope it improves =w=
Kyhid Zohl: Then I hope some of what we show today might prove useful. If not as example, then at least as contrast. Come. This way, all, if you will please… gestures to walk
Nalys: That bridge.
Nalys: Is it publically accessible?
Kyhid Zohl: While we proceed, there’s a memorial on our way that I’d like you to see. This one… is hard to look at for some of us who had colleagues or family enrolled in the Academy at the time it relates
Nolla: smiles It is used for transportation from each side of the bay and a small section is set aside for walking on.
Nalys: blinks back at the memorial, visibly unaware of i ts significance. She peers at Nolla.
Nalys: ..Ah. An obvious place to place spies, no doubt to lure them out for an easy arrest. Clever..
Kyhid Zohl: Oh that Kyhid scans the view yes… it makes for a nice walk actually - though transit by maglev uses it mostly for scenic tours across the bay area
Kyhid Zohl: walks a slower pace now towards a large structure, letting the group draw close as they approach a circular stone pillars embedded in the ground.
R’Rowu: smiles at Nalys slightly “It’s a great dating spot, actually. If you have anyone for those kind of things.”
Nalys: blinks at R’Row and smirks
R’Rowu: continues to pay attention to the tour
Kyhid Zohl: This is the Breen Strike Memorial. It marks the attack on San Francisco during the Dominion War long ago.
Kyhid Zohl: The Breen broke through our lines and struck here, at the Academy itself. It was meant to frighten us. To shatter what we were building. +
Kyhid Zohl: But what it did was reinforce why we build it in the first place. The Academy trains more than officers. It prepares people to stand when others fall. And to rise again when others turn away.
Kyhid Zohl: Please.. this way
Kyhid Zohl: gestures gently to the building behind them. This time toward a large structure lined with wide glass and likely many rooms within.
Kyhid Zohl: We approach a modest but important building, which some of you may remember Zohl casts his attention to the Sub-Lt. +
Kyhid Zohl: These rooms are where cadets spend most of their waking hours. Tactical theory. Diplomacy. Stellar navigation. Ethics. Even poetry, for some.
Kyhid Zohl: We believe an officer must know more than just how to fight. They must understand what they are fighting for.
Kyhid Zohl: | A few cadets can be seen at desk terminals within, instructors pacing behind with PADDS in hand, and holographic displays showing all sorts of things.
R’Rowu: nods slightly out of habit. The words of the Captain resonated with her - or was it just that she had heard them so many times in the past they had to be true?
Prelate Hassin: Ethics is… the rule-teaching? The choosing of right and wrong?
Prelate Hassin: If one learns why to fight, does that not risk teaching them when not to obey?
Nolla: Nolla nods. “Yes sir.”
Nalys: Only if the proper reasons are not taught.
Kyhid Zohl: nods to Nalys as she speaks
Kyhid Zohl: yes, quite right.
Kyhid Zohl: That is part of the point.. Prelate… We train officers to follow orders, yes. But also to question them when they must. Responsibility does not end at obedience.
Kyhid Zohl: In Starfleet, conscience is values trait. It’s part of the uniform.
Prelate Hassin: Hm. A dangerous lesson… or a powerful one. On Tren’Ganis, obedience is a shared safety. Thought is for the council. Action is for the hand.
R’Rowu: We’re not soldiers in that sense. We’re personalities who can fight for a common course if needed.
Prelate Hassin: But perhaps… a well-shaped mind can be both. Thoughtful, yet still swift. I will reflect on this.
Nolla: smiles. “If I may?”
Kyhid Zohl: gestures as if to say please do
Kyhid Zohl: agrees firmly with what the Sub-Lt. has said
Nolla: Students here are taught to obey, but question. To hold the values we as a federation of planets hold dear.
Nolla: And if need be, to disobey. I’m an example of the latter. The men and women who rescued me directly disobeyed orders to do so.
Prelate Hassin: Then you were shaped by disobedience, not discipline. Yet here you stand, uniformed, honoured. perhaps the line between the two is not as clear as we are taught to believe. This… intrigues me
Nalys: Disobedience is, in rare occasions, neccecary for stability. When leaders fail, it is those beneath them who can pick up the pieces.
Nolla: smiles again and nods.
Kyhid Zohl: Thank you, Captain (Nolla). A powerful example. And Cdr Nalys, you’re not wrong. Starfleet teaches loyalty, but it does not expect blind faith. When leaders falter, those beneath must sometimes +
Kyhid Zohl: .. steady the ship. That too is part of service. But we should keep moving, there’s more yet to show.
Kyhid Zohl: | Ahead lies Building Two, larger than the rest. Its upper level bears wide shuttle gantries. Below, a carved inscription reads: Command Begins With Character.
Kyhid Zohl: This is our main departure area for shuttles across the bay and the continent, even departures for ESD. It’s where cadets leave for field postings, training cruises and +
Kyhid Zohl: … their first taste of the wider galaxy. Sure they could just beam up, but taking a shuttle is a ceremony almost. It also houses the Office of the Academy Commandant. +
Kyhid Zohl: It’s a post held with great weight, and occasionally, greater patience. Building Two also houses our holodeck training halls. +
Kyhid Zohl: Cadets face everything from warp core failures to diplomatic standoffs… sometimes both at once. And I would be remiss not to mention that tucked beneath the northern departure runway is… +
Kyhid Zohl: … Club 602. Not officially part of the curriculum, but some say just as formative. Aspiring officers need discipline, yes… but also balance as our Deferi friends might say. A place to unwind.+
Kyhid Zohl: To remember who they are beyond the uniform.
Prelate Hassin: I imagine ‘this’ is where the meshing begins the Prelate is making a joke based on his prior ‘miscommunication’
Kyhid Zohl: smiles “Indeed”
R’Rowu: smirks slightly “Rumors say, this is the best bar out of any Starfleet holdings. A melting pot of cultures result in quite the variety in drinks.”
Nolla: uses a standard trick to not laugh.
Kyhid Zohl: Yes, I always thought so Sub lt… I just hope they don’t remember my bar tab
Kyhid Zohl: Please, join me.. let’s see if we might call on the Commandant should they be available.
Nalys: I like the abundant glass. It communicates both peace and openness. A far cry from most bars, which are all lights.
Kyhid Zohl: At ease Ensign. Might we be able to call upon the Commandant if available? We’re running a bit behind our planned schedule Zohl asks the attendant
Prelate Hassin: We do not imbibe alcohol on Tren’Ganis, but that has not stopped the Ferengi Alliance from seeking to sell us large quantities of it at prices I am reliably informed are very high
Kyhid Zohl: | The attendant checks some things and affirms that it is a good time to Zohl for them to visit
Kyhid Zohl: Thank you son.
Kyhid Zohl: And now, a rare privilege. We’ve arranged a brief word from the Academy’s current Commandant. says Zohl just before they enter
Kyhid Zohl: | A moment passes and then the doors slide open with a soft hiss, revealing a well-lit office lined with star charts, models, and commendation plaques. The tour enters.
Nalys: ’s eyes, predictably, go to the star charts first, then the interior, then the commandant..
Kyhid Zohl: | Commandant Halvern turns about to face the group. His uniform is precise, his hair stark white, though his face carries the calm focus of someone far younger in spirit. +
Kyhid Zohl: | He offers no smile, but gives a quiet nod to the group… the kind of gesture one might give in battle, not in peacetime. +
Kyhid Zohl: Prelate Hassin, may I present Commandant Halvern, veteran of the Iconian War, and current head of this institution.
Kyhid Zohl: also introduces all of the attending party in turn, while the Commandant looks unphased.
Nalys: starts to turn her eyes away from the commandant as well upon noting his disinterest, seemingly able to match it with her own.
Kyhid Zohl: | Halvern remains seated with both hands behind at his sides. He looks over the group slowly, pausing a little longer on the more ‘alien’ faces among them. +
Prelate Hassin: I bring peace and most benevolent salutation from my people Commandant Halvern
Kyhid Zohl:A “This Academy does not exist to build explorers. That is a luxury. Science is a luxury. Your ‘peace’ is a luxury. ” he says unprompted and extremely harshly in tone
Kyhid Zohl: | “We have all watched those luxuries burn. Some of us from the bridges of flagships. Some from battlefields. Some from childhood windows.” +
Kyhid Zohl: looks nervously to Nolla
Kyhid Zohl: | "And I have watched those luxuries burn more than most. I served in the Iconian campaign. I saw planets fall. I gave orders that took lives. +
Nolla: coughs gently. Twice.
Kyhid Zohl: | “I watched cadets die because no one prepared them for what command truly means. So yes, we teach tactics. We drill failure. We simulate loss. ” he says in monologue +
Kyhid Zohl: | “If they are going to break, better they do it here. Better they learn the edge early.” He glances to Zohl briefly, then to Nolla, and then the others. +
Kyhid Zohl: | His tone does not change, but there is a slight shift in weight when he continues… as if stepping into different ground. +
Kyhid Zohl: | "But we are not here to glorify battle. Starfleet is not a war machine. It is a shield, not a sword. The goal is not to win wars. The goal is to end them. Not through greater firepower +
Kyhid Zohl: | "…but through officers who understand what violence really costs. This place does not build soldiers. It builds guardians. People who can look into chaos and still choose restraint. +
Kyhid Zohl: | “That is the mission. That is why I’m here. Why I took up this role. Not to make warriors, but to ensure we never need them.” +
Kyhid Zohl: | He lets the silence hold for a moment, then finishes, quieter now but no less firm. “Peace may be a luxury. But it is a luxury we must ensure everyone can afford.”
Nolla: smiles at the commandant
Kyhid Zohl: raises his hand to the back of his neck. Ol’ Halvern always did like to soapbox
Prelate Hassin: is silent for a long moment. His eyes remain fixed on Halvern, unblinking. "You speak as if war is a fire, and peace the cold after. But I think… perhaps peace is not cold. Perhaps it is breath.+
Prelate Hassin: … Warm. Alive. We were taught peace is silence. Stillness. But this place… it is not still. Your peace moves. Your people move to ensure peace takes root.
Nolla: taps her communicator again.
Prelate Hassin: I see now. You teach the danger, so that others may walk without fear. That is… noble. Yes. A noble fire to teach. Varied are the many lessons it seems this place holds.
Nalys: taps her uniform thoughtfully.
Kyhid Zohl: | Halvern watches the Prelate closely as he speaks. There is a brief flicker of something behind his eyes… approval, perhaps, or understanding.+
Kyhid Zohl: | “Peace must move, Prelate. It must act, or it vanishes. Perhaps one day, those of Tren’Ganis will walk these grounds as cadets. And perhaps they will carry that fire forward.”
Nolla: smiles, "I’m sure the commandant has things to attend to, why don’t we end up with a quick tour of the 602.
Kyhid Zohl: Yes, quite. You’ve been more than generous with your time, Commandant. We’re grateful for your words, and for your candour.
Kyhid Zohl: I think we’ve taken enough of the Commandant’s schedule for one morning. There’s one final stop before we close the tour. Just ahead is Club 602… which I think we would all appreciate.
Kyhid Zohl: sets off at a relaxed pace, inviting the group to follow down a gently curving walkway toward the lounge entrance. As they depart, he turns to Halvern, who is ruefully smiling back.
Kyhid Zohl: And here we are.. Club 602. No lectures, no drills, no simulations. Just a stool, a drink, and maybe a story or two worth hearing.
Ki’lana: moves over to the bar, occasionally glancing at the Captain. Realizing she looks like she’s stalking him, she turns her head forward, letting him speak for now as her ears twitch.
Kyhid Zohl: rests one hand lightly on the bar, glancing around at the others with a quieter smile than before.
Kyhid Zohl: We’ve spoken of war and peace, obedience and conscience, old methods and new paths. Every voice today added something real. So if you’ll allow me.. I’d like to offer a toast. +
Kyhid Zohl: | The barman has prepared a variety of beverages matching each person’s preferred type, alcoholic, synthehol or otherwise, as per shared diplomatic protocol
Kyhid Zohl: nods to the caitian cadet at the end of the bar as if to say ’join us won’t you?'
Ki’lana: “Well.. Was hoping to speak to you Captain but if you’re going to just invite me along.”
Kyhid Zohl: then notes that she is in fact an enlisted crewman; of course she is… enlisted crew were the only ones confident enough to attend the bar at this time of the day
Prelate Hassin: accepts the assigned beverage with curiosity. These Federation types had incredible replicator technology, but he had yet to see them successfully replicate his planet’s native elixir, the San’harn
Kyhid Zohl: Please, join us; in fact… you might just become the most interesting part of this tour!
Nalys: accepts the beverage, favouring a stronger alcoholic blend.
Ki’lana: “Well, I -did- just finish giving a lecture to a room full of cadets, I thought I was going on the next shuttle back to Bajor but i’ve been asked to stay here and ‘learn’ sir.”
Kyhid Zohl: lifts his offered beverage of choice, and raises it slightly toward the group. "To diverse perspectives. May they challenge us, teach us, and help shape the officers…and allies, we hope to become
Kyhid Zohl: Learn is it… well, whoever told you that might be in need of a refresher themselves. Bajor… oof, I don’t envy your journey there
Ki’lana: “Think nothing of it sir, that’s time spent not working.”
Ki’lana: snorts.
Prelate Hassin: lifts the glass and he turns it once in his clawed fingers before tasting. The flavour earns a small twitch in his cheek. Not displeasure exactly, more disappointment.
Nalys: lifts the glass and tugs the alcohol down for a single drink. She humms delightedly, though her eyes show it’s quite late on whatever timezone her ship is on.
Prelate Hassin: This is… warm. And wet. It carries… something. Perhaps not fire. But it tries. I will carry this forward, Captain. Perhaps one day, all…. we will share a real San’har.
Kyhid Zohl: nods in response to the Prelate. “Here here”
Kyhid Zohl: You’d want to ensure to bring a good book with you at the very least he says to the crewman, or at least a holovid or two then… Still, I often find such long transfers to be an opportunity..
Kyhid Zohl: .. to correspond with family, and catch up on some reports I’ve pushed to the back of the queue for a change.
Kyhid Zohl: turns to Captain Nolla and in a low voice says “Thank you for your support today Captain… particularly in light of the.. linguistic challenges to overcome along the way”
Nolla: smiles. “Not a problem sir, It’s what we do.”
Kyhid Zohl: And you do it quite well.. though I feel sorry for your colleagues in the translation working group… it seems the Tren’Ganis language is not the easiest to codify
Nolla: smiles. “Thats why we bring in an active translator. Just in case.”
Prelate Hassin: ’s communicator pings once again; a further translation iteration has been queued for his universal translator firmware.. is that 8, or 9 today now?
Kyhid Zohl: I fear it may be a lost art among many in the communications specialty. I’d need to check, but in my day the xeno-linguistics class probably had only a handful of cadets
Nolla: smiles. It’s purely invite only now sir. Moved down to Monterey as well.
Kyhid Zohl: I only know that as I was late for a class on temporal mechanics once, and.. eh, yes, ironic I know… I stumbled into the wrong lecture and everyone was speaking ‘French’… some old earth language
Kyhid Zohl: As I later discovered
Ki’lana: “Shouldn’t the translators pick up on that?”
Nalys: I suppose computers take most of the translation work now. They can be pretty good even with new contact situations.
Nolla: smiles they are turned off in language classes intentionally
Ki’lana: “Ah.. Never had that on Mars.”
Kyhid Zohl: Oh yes the translators would, but these cadets were being thought the ‘how’ of language… though I’m sure many of them were already well versed.
Kyhid Zohl: As soon as I passed the threshold of the room I could understand again what they were saying… and the conversation, by that stage, had turned to me and my disruption
Kyhid Zohl: That’s when I knew my expertise wouldn’t align with linguistics… and for that matter, with temporal mechanics either!
Ki’lana: "No better education than the field, sir.
Nalys:For linguistics or temporal mechanics
Ki’lana: "Mmmm…. Yes.
— the scheduled session was brought to an end here —
