It May Have Been Disobedience, But I Don't Think it Was Wrong.

[Rebecca Talon]

"We've been doing that for a while," Rebecca replied. "Miranda class came from the Constitution refit. Freedom and Nebula classes came from the Galaxy development. It cuts down on R&R. As farcas learning something. Not really. Romulans like stealth attacks, an then overwhelming fire. We can't duplicate that because we can't use cloaking technology. A lot of their systems are completely incompatible with our own such as the warp drive system. They are still using a basic computer system whereas we are switching over to bio-neural gel packs. But, I did incorporate their injection systems into the latest updates of the Erebus plans. And just incase I also built in plug-in-play capabilities for a cloaking device in the event things change politically."

"Commander Sandoval," A Vulcan Admiral announced.

Rebecca glanced at Nick with a "Here we go again" expression before turning towards the Admiral at attention. "Yes, ma'am."

"Welcome to Mars," the Vulcan started.

~It's not like I haven't been here before,~ She thought to herself.

"I'm Admiral T'ver." She stepped forward and handed Rebecca a small black box. "I understand you'll be heading the Erebus project?"

'Yes, ma'am," Rebecca said holding the box without looking at it.

"Then a Lieutenant Commander will not do. We can't have officers outranking a project lead."

Rebecca opened the box already knowing what was inside. It wasn't the first time she'd been promoted, though truth be told she was surprised that this came so quickly. Inside was a single gold pips. "Thank you Admiral," Rebecca said.

T'ver nodded, "I want you out of that gold uniform too. You belong in red Commander. Just know you have your allies within command. The Erebus class has its opponents, and they about lost it when you were named the head of the program. You may count me amongst your allies as are Mr. Scott and Ryder."

"Understood Admiral," Rebecca said with a nod.

T'ver gave Rebecca what appeared to be a smile. Ever so slight, and it was gone so fast she almost thought she'd imagined it. "Now, I have to return to Earth." She nodded her head to the three and stepped onto the transporter pad and was gone.

"Well, that was strange," Rebecca commented looking over her shoulder.

[Nick Ryder]

"The Old Lady is strange... but I like her." Nick replied. "Erebus Project really is going to be a step forward to just what we need. As is the Independence project. Even though I'm quickly finding out that for the Indy to be truly Independent, it'll need a lot of supplies and a lot of storage space."

"Aye, but isn't that what the... what did you call it... quantum replicator pattern buffers were for? Store a vast amount of raw matter in buffers?" Scott said with a hum.

"More like what was used to save you Scotty, basically a closed loop transporter system that we can store raw materials in a pattern buffer, but we can use it like a replicator, but in a way, not really like a replicator as we're not creating something from nothing, we're simply beaming what was already created back. Like how we can transfer someone's transporter pattern to another transporter system if there's a fault. BUT I'm looking at making the system small enough that we can store almost an entire starship or two in parts within the buffer and simply beam into place what we need. Need an EPS conduit... done. Need deck plating, as easy as dropping the pallet here or there or anywhere it's needed." Nick said with a smile. "Now if I could simply get my RyderCore system working, trying to find a way to make my natural flame a power source that can self regenerate with any heat source."

"Now that laddie is never going to work... biological energy and energy to power a ship... that's a century off at least." Scotty said with a chuckle.

"Well, we ARE the Advanced division..." Nick said and looked at Becca. "Hey we didn't get here because we look pretty."

[Rebecca Talon]

"I won't pretend to even have a clue how that works, but it does stand to reason you could power a steam engine real well Nicholas, but a starship seems a bit... well, out there."

[Nick Ryder]

"But in essence energy is energy, just how it's applied." Nick said and smiled. "Oh speaking of energy, you're going to love your new office slash lab slash apartment. Feng Shui'd to the maximum. Mom and Julie spent a week getting it set up. Mainly mom, she's been more maternal of late. I guess ever since Jenny has flat out refused to join Starfleet even as a civilian contractor and changed the locks on the Poznan clinic so mom and I can't just come in. Natalia on the other hand... she's working on some top secret stuff in the Skunkworks in Pasadena. Why they picked Pasadena of all places... I call it Skunkworks because that place stinks. The cops are all assholes, I go two miles over the speed limit they're on me like white on rice. And all the flowers, I love flowers, but the fertilizer... pfhew... "

"Laddie mark me words, someday your lady will be very into flowers and fertilizer will be like perfume." Scotty said with a smirk. "Although I don't see your lady getting her hands dirty in that way."

"Oh they get dirty, just other kinds of dirt. Hey, thanks for letting us borrow that shuttle prototype, those agents would have been dead if not for that." Nick said with a sigh. "Dominion is really putting the pressure on, lot of fringe groups and mercs are trying to stay alive by helping them. Sixteen agents were trapped in some trading outpost about to be sold to the Dominion, apparently the Betazoids have some rogue Psionics that aren't too happy about the Dominion invasion and the Federation's lack of support."

"Lack of support... my arse. They're whiners that's what they are, still, didnae give them the right to try an' barter lives like that. Was happy to help." Scotty said and glanced at his watch. "Och will ye look at the time... Sandoval, pin that pip on your collar lass, we've got a briefin' with the CnC in 20. All heads need to be there."

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca popped the black half pip off and replaced it with the new solid gold pip. She fell into step with the others and glanced up at Nick. "Did you get a chance to look at the latest plans? Specifically the structural load equations? I would have failed that class if not for you... got a C despite your efforts."

[Nick Ryder]

"They were just a tiny bit off, you keep forgetting the secondary load equation. Not a biggie, three fourths of the engineers here do that too. I only remember it because Professor Walker smacked my head every time I forgot it. You never had him." Nick chuckled lightly. "I spent so much time drooling over your plans for Erebus, Julie got jealous and thought I was looking porn or something."

[Rebecca Talon]

She laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder, "You did no! Though, if you did that does sound like Julie. That was an interesting mission I spent with her. I have to admit, I do have a newfound respect for her."

[Nick Ryder]

"Like I've said before, when she's good, she's good... when she's bad.. she's a nightmare." Nick chuckled. "But yeah, she's good at what she does and it's not an easy job, I've struggled to make some of the choices she has to make sometimes. Still, that was a huge 'win' for us. Really I can't say enough for what you all did to make that happen." he put his hand on her shoulder. "Not many will know what you did, but I'll know and so will a few others. This is going to get you gold stripes on your uniform someday."

[Rebecca Talon]

"We'll see," she replied. "Making Admiral without coming from a starship command is difficult."

[Nick Ryder]

"You'll make it before I do. FSS and Starfleet Intel have been crying for a purpose built intelligence cruiser and a frigate for about five years now. So I'm pretty sure that'll be my next project after Independence. And Admiral V'Pier likes me." Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Still no high like seeing a ship go from napkin sketches to 3D renders, to a holodeck program to a fully built and realized ship leaving the dock."