Put To Sea

Posted on Tue Apr 21st, 2026 @ 7:30pm by Lieutenant Commander Maximo (Max) Vero & Captain Marc Steyn & Lieutenant JG K'Ari th’Qarret & Lieutenant JG T'Chiara MD & Ensign Robert Wayne & Lieutenant JG Maec O'Donnaghue

1,394 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Prologue: Joy is in the journey
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD2 08:00

ON

Asha seemed to be one of the last to arrive on the bridge, the Captain was already seated in the command chair. She was a diminutive women who seemed to be swallowed by the size of the chair but when one met her you realised that despite her stature she was an imposing women, or at least to a fresh faced ensign. The first officer also seemed somewhat aloof as did the Chief engineer... or she assumed the Andorian was the chief engineer. The scuttlebutt was that she hadn't wanted the assignment but got strong armed into it by the Captain.

She descended the steps into the command section , rounded the command chair and slipped into her own seat at the Navigation console. For the time being, with no Chief Navigator on board she assumed it would be her duty to step in.

Lieutenant th'Qarret sat quietly at the engineering station. She was doing another round of checks on the Dilithium intermix ratio. Every check she had done since sorting the problem had come back normal but she had wondered why the rich ratio wasn't detected sooner. Even with a chief engineer missing, someone is engineering should have been monitoring or at least checked the ratio as all newly constructed vessels need constant monitoring. Needless to say, it hadn't been and they were all lucky the rich ratio hadn't exploded. She turned to look around at the other officers and crew on the bridge, since the staff briefing she felt like she was being watched or under suspicion for something. She wasn't sure why. She had boarded the ship at the same time as the other senior officers and entered engineering at the same time they did. They couldn't suspect her for the murder of the engineering officer could they? It didn't matter, she had alibi's and no motive. Since this would be only a temporary assignment she simply hand to perform her duties to the best of her abilities.

The turbolift doors opened and out stepped Ensign Wayne and Ensign Michaels. Wayne walked over to the console and took his place at the Helm station. Michaels took her chair at the Communications console. Wayne had felt a tension in the air but shook it off to first assignment nerves. Michaels logged into the comms station and ran standard diagnostics.

Max was sat ready in his science station, already running what long range data they could on the area they were heading too. He knew it was on the fringes of Gorn space and how warlike they could be. For an Argelian they preferred pacifism. He was sure the Captain would lean on logic. It would be interesting to see how any interactions would go if they had an encounter with the species.

"Ensign" Sakara spun her chair to face the Communications officer at the rear of the bridge. "Raise the dock master and request permission to depart.

"Yes captain." Michaels tapped a button. "Oberth to dock master. Requesting permission to depart." A few seconds later, "Dock master to Oberth, you are cleared to depart. Safe journeys. Dock master out."

Michael's turned to the captain, "We are cleared for departure, captain."

"Acknowledged" the Captain returned to face the viewscreen. "Commander Vero, please clear all moorings, helm, bring thrusters to station keeping. Lieutenant th'Qarret disengage umbilical's and bring the ship under her own power"

"Disengaging the umbilical's and bringing full power online." K'Ari reported as she worked at her console. The metallic sound of the umbilical's disengaging echoed round the bridge as the ships lights brightened ever so slightly as full power kicked in. "Umbilical's disengaged and the Oberth is running on 100 per cent of its own power. We are green across the board, Captain."

Wayne watched the helm console come to life. He waited for the order to plot a course and speed. This is what he wanted all his young life.

"Science is also fully ready Captain," Max said. "I am running long range scans in the direction we are to travel."

T'Chiara stepped onto the bridge just as the umbilical's were released. She has never witnessed a departure from dock before and would argue the experience to be one of kind. There would never be another first time, if she missed this. She walked up to the railing that separated the upper section from the command chair and leaned against it. "Beautiful, is it not?" She asked.

"It is... Satisfying" Sakara gently reminded her friend that she was a being of pure logic and not one to indulge in whimsical flights of fancy. Her chair righted so she could face the main view screen, her bridge crew working like a well practised orchestra, each playing their part in getting this vessel underway.

"Helm, ease us out of dock. Once clear engage one quarter impulse until we are clear of dock traffic".

Wayne nodded. "One quarter impulse, aye captain." Wayne tapped his console and the ship started moving slowly forward.

Max wondered if like many captains before there's would have her own way of ordering them to "engage" the engines. He had friends on other ships and the phrases adopted he had heard about were certainly interesting. But there Captain was a Vulcan, he assumed she would stick to something short, to the point.

"We are about to clear dock traffic, captain. Orders?" Ensign Wayne waited for orders, his hand hovering over the helm controls.

K'Ari watched her consoles screen tentatively to make sure nothing was missed. So far all systems were in the green and functioning as they should be.

"Set course six five nine point two three seven, warp five. Engage when ready".
Not one for ceremony or this morbid fascination with ones own command to enter warp, she stuck with the tried and true command where as here peers, the likes of Captain Pike, Kirk, Georgiou and even Captain Archer all seemed to revel in a simple phrase. It was highly illogical given it was only to accelerate a vessel from its starting to point with the end goal being of reaching its destination.

Wayne tapped his console and the ship jumped to warp. "Course set, six five nine point two three seven, warp 5, captain."

"Commander Vero, given the nature of our intended mission I wonder if testing the sensor grid enroute would be prudent?"

"Si captain. I have long range scans running presently. To run the diagnostics for the sensors i’ll will have to shut them down. Can it wait until my scans have finished as the data is still incomplete?"

"By your leave Commander".

Jonathan grabbed his tricorder from the side of his desk in his office attached to the shuttlebay, his side arm attached to his belt as he left his small office, making for the bridge. He rushed through the halls he was running a little late the briefing would have started, rushing into the turbo lift "Computer To the Bridge" he said as the turbo lift whizzed. He stepped out "Sorry I'm a little late Captain Sakura... Chief Odessa reporting" he said taking his position next to science station.

"No need for apology. I have discussed with Lieutenant th'Qarret and a station on the bridge has been established for your use. You will have direct control of the ship board security systems and continual communication access with any away teams" she motioned for the console to the left of the main view screen to the side of the Chief Engineer.

Jonathan smiled as he looked for his station and took it "Well this is rather new" he said as his hands found their way round the console "Well at least I'm nearer the view screen and engineering" he said looking at the console "thank you captain" he said as he took his seat.

"Commander, I shall be in my quarters. Please assemble the senior staff in the briefing room at zero seven thirty hours for a complete systems breakdown and mission briefing".

The Vulcan was on the move as she spoke, again with no pomp or circumstance. She had her agenda and it was to complete the paperwork that was mounting up on her desk. The ship would run perfectly well under the watchful eye of her first officer.

"Si Captain," Max nodded. He pulled up the computer and scheduled the meeting.

END

RSS Feed