Launch of the HNS Courageous

Consul's Office 

This office is small but well-appointed. The ceiling is curved slightly to fit the contours of the ship, but the consequence is a very impressive window out to the exterior of the spacecraft. The walls are all panelled in wood, and to one side is a bookshelf full of some impressive-looking pieces of Sivadian literature. A desk occupies the middle of the office, with two chairs in front of it and one larger chair behind. The Sivadian flag stands in a place of honour behind the desk.

The XO in question strolls in casually, his boots squeaking as usual, his hands held behind his back in the usual manner... and, as one would expect, his expression seems the same as usual. "Greetings Captain, I do hope you're feeling better?"

Cobb opens the door without knocking and stumbles into the office, almost tripping over his cane. It takes him a few moments to recover from the or deal of stepping over the doorjam.

Falkona looks up from her scribbling and nods, "Aye, Commanda', much.... " She seems to want to elaborate, but blinks a bit as Cobb enters. She stands quickly, dropping the datapad face down, stencil next to it. "Admi'al on deck," she announces.

Cobb grumbles to himself as he straightens -- well, dehunches a little - - and turns to face the Captain. "As you were," he says gruffly. "Well, then, I have your ship, Captain," he continues, brightening somewhat.

Falkona blinks more, this time in surprise rather than humor. "You do?" she questions almost loudly, as if her hearing was as bad as his.

Raith appears to now to stood to attention, having only just noticed Admiral Cobb in the room... well, he can't see behind himself, can he? But, once he did notice the Admiral, the pose kicked in.

"Yes," says the elderly Admiral. "Indeed I do." He reaches into a pocket of his jacket, a pocket which seems to have developed a bulge -- one hopes it is a /benign/ tumour.

Falkona raises a brow curiously. She says nothing, her hands slowly clasping behind her back. She tilts her head.

Harvington knocks on the door.

The elderly admiral seems to have some trouble getting the object, whatever it is, out of his pocket. He struggles with it. "Sorry," he says apologetically as he continues to pull.

Raith raises a brow, watching the Admiral's actions with a hint of amusement, although it doesn't really show on his steely visage, not glimmer through his proud stance.

Cobb uses the distraction of the knocking on the door to take a break from his efforts. He sighs and breathes heavily for a few moments, finding the task of excising the object from his pocket to be quite trying. He gestures toward the door inviting Falkona to open it.

Falkona doesn't move to open it. Instead, she calls, "Come in." She doesn't move at all in fact, just watching the Admiral, her amusement not daring to show.

Harvington enters, dressed in sooty work dungarees. He brings himself in to the room, salutes properly to all present. "Sirs. I request that the Pacific be grounded for maintenence, sirs. I have noticed a good deal of corro sion on the No. 3 thrust port, and wish to detail a crew to work on this."<= /P>

Falkona turns toward Harvington and shakes her head, "Pe'mission denied, Lieuftenant. I've just received official wo'd that the Pacific is being decommissioned. Tha' is no need to put humpty dumpty back togetha' again."

Harvington looks a bit surprised at this announcement. He looks down at h is dungarees, slightly disgusted. "Then I request permission for a night's leave, as my previous duties are moot."

Cobb finally, with one last burst of effort, removes the tumour from his pocket. The operation successful, he triumphantly puts the object onto Falkona's desk. "The HNS Courageous," he says proudly.

If one looked at the object, one would see:

A tiny, yet very intricately detailed, model of the HNS Courageous, with every window, every rivet and every baffle painstakingly included in the m odel. The starship is forever trapped in a small glass bottle placed a top an oak base. A brass plaque afixed to the base reads:

HNS COURAGEOUS

"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace."

- Amelia Earhart

Falkona nods toward Harvington, "Granted. Dismissed." She then turns toward Cobb and blinks a bit. She pauses a moment and then laughs softly.

Raith just watches Harvington, but says nothing, knowing better than to state his mind. But, that cold gaze continues to shine through, his stance a little too proud for his own good... that is, until he catches sight of the object the Admiral produces. His brow raises once more, a somewhat bemused look caressing his cold features. He doesn't ask... he doesn't /want/ to ask.

Harvington glances at the Starship before saluting sharply, turning on a heel and leaving the room, softly closing the door behind him.

The laughter seems to dismay Cobb considerably and he ignores the engineer entirely. "Well, granted, it's not quite so big as your ship," he says defensively, "But it's good enough for now, what?" He obviously takes a great deal of pride in his work.

Raith swiftly looks away, pretending to be innocently inspecting the bulkhead for any signs of stress as the 'what?' question is asked.

Falkona holds up a hand. Her laughter turns into a bright smile as she replies, "No, no... I was just confused, Admi'al. This is a most astounding little thing." She kneels slightly, "Pe'haps you'll pe'mit me to keep it in m' office when we get the real ship, hmm?"

"Well, I should hope so," says Cobb haughtily. "After all, it is the done thing with my creations. There is a Cobb starship-in-a-bottle on every ship in the fleet." He picks up his cane by the neck and points the handle at Falkona a few times as if scolding her for not knowing that.

Falkona nods, "I'm sorray, sa'. I blame the lack of inf'mation on m' lack of time in se'vice here."

Cobb, ever magnanimous, forgives the former marine. "Well, it is quite a tradition in the fleet, you know, Captain," he says in a much warmer tone. "Started when I took command fifteen years ago... or was it seventeen... I 'm afraid I've forgotten. A man of my advanced age forgets the ocassional, minor thing, what?" He smiles wistfully, as if imagining the days when he was only eighty.

Raith finally looks back upon the Admiral, having apparently found nothing of interest on the bulkhead. Simply, he readjusts his stance a little, making his previously proud posture return with all it's glory. Rigid glory, perhaps, but still glory. At least to some... anyway.

Falkona smiles quietly. She reaches up and rubs her eyes gently, as if wondering how long the senile, old man can ramble on for.

Cobb ignores the Captain and turns to Raith. "And you," he says expectantly, "Commander Wrath. What do you think of your new ship?" He seems amused by the idea of Falkona and Raith jetting about the galaxy in such a small contraption.

Raith hmmms? Then ohs, looking over the tiny vessel, "Well sir, I do believe that while she may not have the teeth to defend Sivad against pirates and the like, she can quite probably hold her own against micro-meteorites. " He smiles slightly, obviously playing along, "Or at the very least space dust sir."

Cobb's eyes narrow suspiciously at Raith. "Wrath, you do realise it's only a bloody model. I don't expect you to actually fly about in it. Ye gods." He casts his gaze up at the heavens in exasperation. "Well, then. I'll be off, I think."

"Yes Sir... Of course... Sir..." the Commander comments dryly, looking over said bloody model with a cold glance. If he had commented on how the quality of the model is quite good, he'd probably have the whole jesting side of the comment thrown back at him anyway. No win scenario... Raith just bites his tongue. He looks back at the Admiral though soon after, trying his best not to show his annoyance, and doing it quite well. "Very good Admiral."

Cobb is too blind to notice Raith's expression and too deaf to notice any edge in his voice anyway. He smiles widely at Falkona, "Carry on then, Captain," he says. He then turns toward Raith, and, squinting as if he is wondering if the man is absolutely potty, he says, politely, "Commander..." He then turns and totters out of the office.

Raith just nods, a prompt nod at that, but says nothing... probably happy to see the back of the Admiral, and not wanting to delay that outcome with trivial conversation.