After Action Report

Operation: Tap Shoes & Broomsticks

Vessel/Unit: USS Terminus, NCC 81011 (Full Crew Deployment, Shore Detail)
Location: CONjuration 2026, Courtland Grand Hotel, 165 Courtland St NE, Atlanta, Terran Sector
Stardate: 2611.06-2611.08 (November 6-8, 2026)
Mission Classification: Fleet-Wide Convention Deployment (Fantasy Sector)
Reporting Officer: Lt. David Whitehead, Chief Engineer

The Terminus crew deployed to CONjuration 2026, a fantasy and fandom gathering held in downtown Atlanta, with the following primary objectives:

• Survey a convention of more than 200 panels, performances, and experiences, heavily weighted toward wizards, wizard rock, Discworld, Tolkien, Disney, and D&D
• Support allied performers, specifically the tap dance troupe Noise Complaint, a Friend of the Ship
• Provide volunteer labor to the convention (quests, Guest Services, and coffee) in exchange for nothing but the satisfaction of a job well done
• Contribute to the Federation's biological supply reserves via a convention-adjacent blood drive
• Sustain morale, camaraderie, and, where possible, the structural integrity of the venue

All primary objectives were completed successfully, with the exception of the last one. See Section VI for details.

Starfleet Personnel (Confirmed Present)

Friends of the Ship (Civilian Liaisons)

Excused Absence

Recruit Holly Jordan was unable to attend due to a prior diplomatic engagement in Uganda. Command accepts this excuse, as it is a significantly better away mission than anything on the CONjuration schedule. Her photograph is included in the mission record in recognition of this.

All other personnel reported for duty at designated coordinates. No crew were unaccounted for, though one was accounted for primarily in his hotel room.

Venue Relocation and Diplomatic Gratitude

The convention's regular hotel was behind on its renovations, forcing CONjuration to find a new home on short notice. The Courtland Grand Hotel stepped in and allowed the convention to keep the same weekend at the same room rates. The crew extends formal thanks to the Courtland Grand for rescuing the convention, and for doing so without a single request for the crew to remove their hats, wands, or pointed ears.

Biological Supply Operations

Ensign Elaine Sweatman, Recruit Matt Sweatman, and this reporting officer donated blood in a voluntary contribution to the Federation's medical reserves. Photographic evidence confirms that the reporting officer conducted himself with dignity throughout, a claim that the reporting officer is, admittedly, uniquely positioned to make. The Federation thanks all three donors.

Meeting: Trader Vic's

A meeting was convened at Trader Vic's for strategic planning and a thorough review of the beverage menu. The food was declared excellent. The cocktails were declared sublime. Sam, the waiter assigned to the meeting, was declared excellent, and Command has entered his name into the ship's log as a person of considerable talent and patience.

Tactical Deception Exercise: Seven-Minute Werewolf

Ensign Sweatman, Recruit Sweatman, Lt. Cmdr. Sterling, and Lt. Lewis conducted an abbreviated, seven-minute version of the social deduction game Werewolf. No casualties were recorded. Command notes that the ability to lie convincingly to one's closest colleagues, then immediately go to lunch with them, is the foundation of any functional chain of command.

Theatrical Operations: Noise Complaint Tap Show

Lt. Cmdr. Sterling performed with Noise Complaint, a tap dance troupe and Friend of the Ship, in a production whose theme was as follows: the crew of Star Trek: Lower Decks beams down to Five Nights at Freddy's. This reporting officer has read that sentence several times and confirms that it is accurate. The Commanding Officer's participation was a last-minute affair: one of the troupe's members could not arrive in time, and she volunteered to fill in. Tap dance is not a regular activity for her, which Command considers a strong argument for the value of cross-training.

Noise Complaint delivered multiple excellent tap shows across the weekend. The crew in attendance reported that the Commanding Officer maintained rhythm, composure, and Starfleet bearing in the presence of what were, by definition, hostile animatronics, despite having had very little notice. Allied performers and cast were also present in force for a full-company appearance.

Civilian Youth Liaison Operations

On Saturday, Lt. Cmdr. Sterling and Lt. Lewis, accompanied by Lt. Lewis's sister, escorted their niece around the convention to ensure she had a good time. Mission objectives were met with flying colors. The away team surveyed the convention floor, and at one point faced down a full-scale living dragon. Nobody was eaten. The niece has been commended informally for being braver than the dragon.

Musical Operations: Broadway Tunes

The crew sang Broadway tunes in the company of other convention attendees, continuing a long and proud Terminus tradition of treating every public gathering as a potential musical. Lt. Lewis was observed in full voice. Musical theatre remains a core crew competency, and the Admiralty is advised to prepare accordingly.

Quest Operations: Ensign Sweatman

Ensign Sweatman volunteered at the convention for the entire weekend, staffing the quest table. In this capacity she handed out quests to attendees and verified their successful completion. This reporting officer notes that assigning missions and confirming outcomes is exactly what an Operations Officer does, and that she did it for the entire weekend. Her service is commended without reservation.

Volunteer Operations: Guest Services and the Jittery Wizard

Ensign Sweatman was not the only Terminus volunteer in the field. Lt. JG Gilbert Conrad served in Guest Services, where he answered questions, solved problems, and pointed lost attendees toward their destinations, a role the Chief Engineer considers a natural extension of Starfleet's mandate to help strangers find their way. Lt. JG Elizabeth Corbett managed the Jittery Wizard coffee shop, supplying caffeine to a convention full of people who had stayed up late for wizard rock. Command regards this as critical infrastructure. No convention, and no starship, runs without coffee.

The Yule Ball

The crew attended the Yule Ball on Saturday evening, a formal dance held in a ballroom decorated with a snowy forest backdrop and several small white artificial trees, which Starfleet Security determined to be non-threatening. Dancing operations were sustained for an extended period. Crew danced with enthusiasm and, in the Chief Engineer's professional opinion, with a respectable level of structural stress on the surrounding flooring.

Magic Broom Operations

Crew members participated in magic broom rides. The reporting officer can confirm that all riders returned to the ground voluntarily and with no remaining altitude. Federation aeronautical regulations do not currently cover broomstick flight, and Command considers that an oversight to be addressed at a later date.

Habitat for Humanity Silent Auction

The crew participated in the convention's silent auction, which benefits Habitat for Humanity. Confirmed acquisitions: one candle. Ensign Sweatman placed bids on a couple of books, a witch's hat, and a drinking horn. The results of those bids remain unconfirmed at the time of this report. Command is monitoring the situation, and the Klingon members of the Federation are watching the drinking horn with particular interest.

Final Crew Gathering

Before departure, the crew assembled for one last group photograph, officially recording the mission for posterity and for the Away Missions page.

CONjuration 2026 presented a convention environment of notable density. Programming ran from late morning to near midnight, with several events in the late evening restricted to adults (18+). Saturday was the busiest day, featuring a costume contest, a multi-band Pub Sing concert, and the Yule Ball. Opening Ceremonies were held Friday at 5 PM, and the winner of the House Cup was to be announced at Sunday's Closing Ceremonies.

Drop-in activities ran all weekend and included tabletop gaming, crafts, a LEGO area, a vendor marketplace, and the aforementioned silent auction. Competitive house-points operations were in effect throughout, and the Terminus crew is advised that points were being tracked even when the crew was not paying attention.

Navigation aids on the convention floor included a handsome wooden signpost listing destinations such as Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Narnia, Neverland, Rivendell, Emerald City, and Prydain. The helmsman notes with regret that none of these are accessible at warp, and that Starfleet's star charts have not been updated to include them.

The convention-themed cocktails sampled by Lt. JG Kohan and Lt. Whitehead on Saturday were assessed as outstanding and have been formally noted for commendation. This continues a proud Terminus tradition of rigorous beverage evaluation in the field.

Trader Vic's: As noted in Section III, the meeting at Trader Vic's was a success. Food excellent, cocktails sublime, waiter Sam excellent. Trader Vic's is recommended for future meetings.

Flaky, Not Flaky: The crew proceeded to lunch at Flaky, Not Flaky, where the food was assessed as great. The staff were enthusiastic Dragon Con veterans, and diplomatic relations were strengthened by a mutual recognition of fandom. Ribbons were acquired during the engagement. Command considers this a measurable trade agreement.

Incident One: Deck Plating Failure. During the weekend's tap performances, some of the portable dance flooring, which was provided by Noise Complaint, broke. The Courtland Grand's own flooring, thankfully, was not involved. This is the sole recorded instance of structural damage during the mission. Investigators determined that the dance floor lost a fair fight with the rhythm section. No crew member has accepted responsibility for the tonnage, though one of them was in the cast.

Command wishes to remind all parties that, at the recommissioning, assurances were given that there would be no scratches to the hull. Those assurances applied to the ship. They did not extend to a tap troupe's dance floor, and Command regrets any confusion. The hotel, to its great relief, was not asked to cover the cost.

Incident Two: Medical Confinement. Recruit Matt Sweatman became ill during the mission and spent the weekend in sickbay, which for the purposes of this report is defined as his hotel room. He was thus able to attend the convention only in spirit. Medical records show that he donated blood earlier in the mission. This reporting officer declines to draw a conclusion from that sequence of events and has instead referred the question to the Chief Medical Officer. Recruit Sweatman has the full sympathy of the crew and is expected to return to active duty promptly.

This report formally commends the following individuals:

• The Courtland Grand Hotel: For stepping in on short notice, holding the convention's weekend, and maintaining the same room rates. A shoutout to the CG, and the thanks of the Federation.
• Ensign Elaine Sweatman: For volunteering at the quest table all weekend, issuing quests, and verifying that they were completed.
• Lt. JG Gilbert Conrad and Lt. JG Elizabeth Corbett: For volunteering in Guest Services and at the Jittery Wizard coffee shop, respectively, and keeping the convention informed and caffeinated.
• Lt. Cmdr. January Sterling and Noise Complaint: For stepping in as a last-minute substitute and taking Lower Decks to Freddy's and surviving, with only the dance floor sustaining casualties.
• Ensign Sweatman, Recruit Sweatman, and Lt. Whitehead: For donating blood to the Federation's medical reserves.
• Lt. JG Topher Kohan and Lt. David Whitehead: For their thorough field evaluation of the convention-themed cocktails. The reporting officer notes that he wrote this commendation himself, and Command has chosen not to look into it.
• Sam of Trader Vic's: For excellent service at the meeting.
• Recruit Holly Jordan: For having a better away mission than everyone else in this report.

Mission Morale: Exceptional
Crew Cohesion: Substantially Reinforced
Volunteer Operations: Outstanding (Quests, Guest Services, Coffee)
Blood Donations Delivered: 3
Tap Performances Attended: Multiple
Broom Rides Completed: Confirmed
Silent Auction Acquisitions: 1 Candle (Others Pending)
Courtland Grand Flooring Integrity: Intact
Troupe Dance Floor Integrity: Compromised
Crew Returned Safely: All
Overall Classification: Resounding Success

The operation is classified as a resounding success.

CONjuration is recommended for repeat deployment, and the crew is encouraged to consider volunteering, performing, or at minimum arriving with a wand. Command will continue to monitor the status of the convention's regular hotel, which will hopefully finish its renovations before the next one.

The next scheduled away missions are as follows:

• November Ship Meeting: To be held on Discord. Crew are reminded that pajama pants remain within uniform regulations as long as the camera field of view is appropriately managed.
• Starfleet Annual Awards and Festivus: A gathering at the residence of Lt. Whitehead to watch the Starfleet Annual Awards ceremony, followed by a Festivus celebration. Crew are advised to prepare their grievances and to stretch before the Feats of Strength.

Further operational details to follow via standard crew communication channels.

End Report
Filed to Starfleet Recreational Operations & Morale Command
Submitted by Lt. David Whitehead, Chief Engineer, USS Terminus NCC 81011
"The floor will be fine. Probably."

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