Captain’s Log, Stardate 240111.13

‘Captain’s Log’. I dont think I’ll ever get used to that. To say my career path has been unique would be an understatement. I’ve only been an officer for nine years, and I just made Captain. On my birthday no less. Talk about a gift.

My orders came through today, I’m to report to Deep Space 17 to take command of the U.S.S. Yamato. A Sovereign-class. Not the most advanced vessel in the fleet, but no slouch either. I’ve only seen them from afar, never up close, and now I get to command one. From a posting at Starfleet Intelligence HQ to CO of a Sovereign-class starship, it’s a huge leap. One I hope I’m ready for.

Deep Space 17 was one of Starfleet’s furthest bases. It sat at the edge of the great unknown. The Typhon Frontier. Largely unexplored. And she was going to be one of the few to explore it. To delve into that great unknown. The station glittered in space as the runabout dropped out of warp. Shuttles flitted around the base, moving between it and the ships that orbited it. An Odyssey-class stood sentry outside the base’s massive dome. That was where her ship awaited her.

A Sovereign-class. A ship from the time of Starfleet’s military expansion. Designed to fight the Borg and the Dominion. Battleships, though now Starfleet classified them as ‘exploratory cruisers’. She preferred to think of them as ‘enhanced deterrence explorers’. Ships designed to fight and project power, but also to further Starfleet’s mission of exploration.

The young Ensign at the helm turned his head, looking at his new Captain. He coughed some, drawing her attention from the book she was reading. She was old fashioned and quite enjoyed the feeling of leafing through pages over tapping away at a PADD.

“Yes, Ensign Soren?” she asked, her Irish accent light and airy, almost sing-song in her inflections.

“We’re arriving at Deep Space 17, Captain.” he said timidly. Solaris glanced up at the rapidly approaching Starbase, closing the book, not actually bothering to mark her place. She had read the book before, only using it to pass the time. The trip had taken a while, but it had been good to get to know one of her new crew on the way.

“Ah! So we are.” she commented.

“Tell me, Ensign, are you excited?” she asked, looking at the young Bajoran next to her. The Ensign looked at her again, tilting his head a bit as he thought.

“Excited, ma’am?” he asked. “I think nervous might be a more appropriate description.” he added, chuckling.
Sol laughed, setting the book on the console. She leaned in closer to him, smiling.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret: So am I.” she admitted before leaning back. She was. She was young for a captain. Not the youngest, but certainly ahead of the curve, and a Sovereign was a big responsibility. Soren considered her for a moment then returned his attention to piloting the runabout. Somehow that made him feel better. If his captain was nervous then surely it was normal for him to be feeling nervous. The console beeped with a notification.

“Ma’am, the base is requesting our clearances.” he reported. Sol nodded, reaching to the chair behind her where her small duffel bag sat. She dug around in it without bothering to look, feeling for the PADD that contained her orders.

“Ah-ha! There it is…” she said, pulling the PADD into her view. She skimmed the PADD quickly then reached over and tapped in a sequence on the console, transmitting it to the Starbase. The console beeped again.
“They have acknowledged the clearance code and welcome us to Deep Space 17.” Soren reported. “They have given us a flight path to the Yamato.” he added as another notification popped up.

“Good. Take us in then. I want to see my new ship…” Sol said, grinning. While she was nervous, she was also excited. She felt the runabout bank slightly, beginning to arc around the station. She watched as the base filled the front viewports of the runabout. While it wasn’t as large as some of the Spacedock types, it was still plenty big, and several ships were docked around its exterior. Sol could see other vessels docked, but not hers. She could make out the forms of an Edison-class and a Steamrunner-class both sitting powered up and ready if they were needed. A Nebula-class was just departing passing by their starboard headed toward open space on her own mission.

“Hmm, maybe around the other side? You’d think a Sovereign would be pretty easy to spot.” she commented, laughing. Soren chuckled a bit as well, banking the runabout around the exterior of the dome, and out of any potential starship flight paths. As the runabout cleared the side of the station Solaris’ breath caught in her throat.

“There she is Captain!” Soren blurted. She nodded, eyes scanning the ship. It was darkened, awaiting its crew. Only a few scattered windows were lit, and workbees flitted around it, moving cargo and equipment into the shuttle bays and from their current distance, with the running lights darkened, she couldn’t even make out the name on the hull, but there was no mistaking it. She knew it in her bones. That was her ship. The man next to her was part of her crew. Suddenly what once had seemed just a fairy tale was now very very real. She was a captain.

“Ensign… hail the Yamato… get us clearance to land in shuttle bay one.” she ordered, slipping into a slightly more serious tone.

“Aye, Captain.” Soren responded. It didn’t take long for the ship to respond. The engineering crew aboard it having been expecting her arrival.

It was only a few short moments between their acknowledgement and the runabouts final touchdown onto the deck. As Soren ran through the runabouts post-flight checks, Sol gathered her duffel bag and stood. The rest of her belongings, and Soren’s, were in the ships hold. They would be gotten later.

Now however? Her nervousness had been replaced with excitement. She turned to Soren with a pleasant smile.

“Excellent job piloting, Ensign. Thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” he responded, looking up from his seat at the console. He had been terrified to ferry his new Captain alone, but the trip had been very pleasant and she certainly hadn’t been what he expected. He returned his attention to runabout as Sol headed for the hatch. She palmed the access panel, the double doors sliding open. The shuttle bay beyond was a flurry of activity. No one even bothered to glance in her direction. They were all far too busy to even notice her, and she wasn’t actually in uniform. Not unless long flow-y dresses and corsets were the newest uniform.

She took a breath, and started off toward the shuttlebay’s exit. The heels of her shoes clicked against the deck plating, barely audible over the other sounds of the bay. She needed to find whomever had ferried the ship to Deep Space 17, and properly take stewardship of her ship.

That meant the bridge or maybe engineering. She paused as she crossed into the corridor outside the shuttle bay.
“Computer. Who is currently in command of this vessel?” she asked. The computer beeped, processing her query for the briefest of moments.

“Lieutenant Commander T’liss is currently in command.” it stated. Sol’s eyes widened. She recognized that name. She had served with the Vulcan woman on her second ship. That was fortuitous and made assembling her senior staff that much simpler.

“What is her location?” she asked.

“Lieutenant Commander T’liss is located on the main bridge.” it replied. Main bridge it was. Sol nodded to herself, continuing off down the corridor, searching for the nearest turbolift.

It hadn’t taken her long to find a turbolift. It had taken even less time for the lift to ascend the five decks to the main bridge. Much like the shuttlebay, no one even bothered to look up as the doors opened and admitted her to the bridge. She glanced around, just standing in the little alcove that was formed by the bulkheads, watching the engineering crew go about their business. The woman she was looking for was perched in the command chair, head just barely peeking out from behind the horseshoe shaped tactical console that semi-encircled it and the other two seats. She let the moment pass before stepping properly onto the bridge and around the tactical console. She stepped carefully down the double steps, running a hand along the tactical console as she did, as if inspecting it for dust. There was none of course. She stopped just before the step up to the command area, watching T’liss skim a PADD before handing it off to an Ensign. It took the Vulcan a moment to notice her standing there, but once she did she moved to stand. Sol held up a hand, letting her retain the chair for the moment, instead choosing to sit in the XO’s position. She studied the face of her old friend, eyes scanning the remnant borg implants left above her eye. A similar set ran along the backs of one of her hands.

“Commander T’liss.” she greeted, with a smile.

“Captain McLaren. Welcome to the Yamato.” the Vulcan replied. Sol produced her PADD containing her orders. Normally there would have been a ceremony, but Sol didn’t like those. She handed the PADD to T’liss who skimmed it just as she had the prior PADD before tapping at the controls on the arm rest of the command chair.

“Computer, transfer all command codes to Captain Solaris McLaren.” she stated simply. The computer took an even longer moment to process before beeping.

“Transfer complete. U.S.S. Yamato now under command of Captain Solaris McLaren.” it announced. The engineering crew on the bridge finally stopped and looked to the center of the bridge. Sol glanced up.

“As you were.” she commanded with a small grin. The engineers quickly resumed their tasks and Sol turned back to T’liss.

“I relieve you, Commander.” Sol said.

“I stand relieved, Captain.” T’liss replied, standing finally to offer the center seat to the new CO. Sol looked at it for a moment then shook her head. She needed to change and drop her things off. She gestured to the vulcan to retake the chair for the time being.

“I assume my quarters are at least presentable?” she asked. T’liss nodded an affirmative, returning to the center seat.

“They are, Captain.” she replied. Sol nodded and stood.

“How long are you and your engineering crew remaining aboard, Commander?” she asked, leaning against the horseshoe for the moment.

“Until the ship is ready for departure, Captain.” T’liss stated, looking up from where she was seated. Sol nodded, thinking. Well pretending to think, she had already made the decision on the way up to the bridge.

“I need a Chief Engineer, T’liss, and an engineering staff. Seems to me, there’s no one better for the job than you and your crew.” Sol said, smiling. “Does that sound intriguing to you?” she asked, crossing her arms.

T’liss cocked an eyebrow. She had only expected to ferry the ship from the yards to the base and return. Then again, her human friend was sometimes unpredictable.

Sol glanced down at her with red eyes, studying the Vulcan’s features. Even with all her intelligence training, she still had trouble reading her friends expression’s, what little of them there were. She pushed a strand of her snow white hair behind her ear, waiting.

“I believe that would be suitable to me, Captain.” T’liss stated, with a simple nod of her head. Sol grinned. What engineer could resist being the Chief Engineer of their own starship?

“Good! I’ll file the appropriate PADD-work for you and any of your crew that wishes to accompany you…” she glanced down at herself. “Now I’m going to go get changed and see about assembling the rest of my senior staff.” she stated. She had several candidates already and just needed to contact them.

“Very good, Captain.” T’liss replied.

“You have the bridge, Commander.” she paused, chuckling. “And let me say, officially: Welcome to the Yamato.” she finished, before spinning on her heel. She hurried up the two steps back to the same turbolift she had arrived in and called it. Engineers continued to buzz around like busy little bees, each again paying her no mind. She chuckled to herself and stepped into the lift when it arrived.

“Deck five.” she called out. She was committed now. There was no mistaking it. The ship was hers. And she had work to do. The doors shut and the turbo lift set on its way, leaving her to consider her next steps.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 240111.15

The Yamato is slowly coming together. Lt. Commander T’liss is very efficient at her job, and its beginning to resemble a proper starship.

I’m currently awaiting the arrival of my new first officer. Hopefully she’s as capable as her service record suggests. Being late however, does not bode well.

Commander Amaya Crichton was late. She was late for one of the most important interviews in her career. This was abnormal for her, but she was subject to the whims of warp travel just like everyone else.

Her transport had arrived on the station and docked and she gathered her small amount of personal belongings and hurried to where her potential posting was docked. She darted through the crowded Promenade hurrying across the station.

She pulled out her orders as she arrived at the docking port, showing them to the security officer who was waiting there. Most starships didn’t have such security keeping people from walking aboard, but her new Captain must have been overly cautious.

They quickly skimmed the orders, before handing the PADD back, gesturing for Amaya to enter the ship.

“Welcome aboard, Commander. You’re expected. I believe you’ll find Captain McLaren in her ready room.” the officer informed her, pointing down the corridor just beyond the docking port.

“Turbolift 5 is just around the corner.” they added.

Amaya nodded a quick thanks and took off at a quick jog. This was not a good first impression. The security officer had been correct, the turbolift was just around the corner. She tapped the call button impatiently, and stepped in when it arrived.

“Bridge!” she called out. She tapped her foot as the doors closed and the turbolift started up toward the bridge. It stopped several times, to admit more officers or let them off on other decks, much to her consternation.

When the turbolift arrived at the bridge, she took a moment to compose herself before stepping out. No one even looked up from their stations or from out under consoles. Life continued on as if she hadn’t even appeared. She pulled out her orders again and crossed down to the front of the bridge, stopping outside the ready room door. She tapped the buzzer and waited.

Her desk was covered in PADDs. Which was not actually an abnormal occurrence for her line of work. Except instead of intelligence and mission reports they were status reports on the state of the Yamato. Its state was good, for a ship getting ready to launch. Nowhere near ready, but well on the way. The crew was coming together. Made up of some seasoned candidates from across the fleet and newer graduates from the academy.

She drummed her fingers on the desk, reading the latest report from T’liss. Lateness was not ideal, especially from an officer who’s service record was impeccable.

Solaris glanced at the chronometer, frowning. Then her terminal beeped, with a notification from the security posted at the docking port. A hurried Commander was on her way up to the bridge. She set the PADD down, and took a sip of her tea, which was lukewarm now. Disappointing.

As she stood to refresh the pot on her desk and recycle the current tea in the cup the door chime pinged. She laughed quietly, taking her time to refresh the tea, and let the Commander sweat a little bit. Once she returned to her desk she took another moment to take a breath.

“Come!” she called.

The doors opened to reveal the seemingly well put together prospective XO who stepped in taking a few short steps to stop in front of the desk.

“Commander Amaya Crichton reporting as ordered, Captain.” the officer announced, holding out a PADD.

Sol scanned the woman’s face for a moment, her red eyes seeking out any micro-expressions to give insight on what the Commander was feeling. She gestured to one of the two chairs.

“Have a seat, Commander.” she offered, accepting the PADD. The other woman took a seat, setting her bag on the other.

“Captain… I would like to apologize for my tardiness–” she started.

“Yes…” Sol cut her off, picking up the PADD with Amaya’s service record on it. She waggled it slightly. “Quite surprising given your otherwise flawless service record.” she stated. Amaya frowned slightly. The meeting was already not off to an auspicious start.

“My transport was delayed… and I could not get another one here quicker.” Amaya explained. Sol simply nodded, keeping her face passive.

“I see…” she said, making mock notes on the PADD.

“Captain… I do not believe that should be held against me.” Amaya stated, leaning forward, placing her hands on the desk.

“No? Some might say it showed a lack of foresight on your part, Commander, not having a secondary plan.” Sol said, fixing her with a gaze from her red eyes. There were some in her past that said she looked like a demon with her red eyes and white hair, especially when under her gaze. She set the PADD down as Amaya formulated a response.

“Some things are just out of a person’s control, Captain. I did check on alternate transports. None would have arrived in time to make this meeting. Most would have actually arrived either tomorrow or the day after. Those that arrived today would have arrived several hours from now.” she stated. Sol nodded, again making a mock note on the PADD.

“Alright, Commander… Tell me a little bit about yourself.” she stated. “You seem to be a quite by the book officer.” she added. Amaya’s service record did show that she tended to be a bit straight-laced and serious when it came to her duties.

“Yes, ma’am. I take my duties very seriously.” she confirmed.

“Why would you make a good exec? It’s been my experience that a good exec is not so rigid.” Sol said. That had been how she operated. She gave a bit, and bent when needed, and her previous Captain seemed to appreciate that style, but then he had been the rigid one.

“I think that depends on your command style, Captain.” Amaya said. “I intend to make sure this ship runs efficiently and is safe. I intend to make sure you are kept safe as well.” she added. “That’s why the regulations exist… to make sure things run smoothly and no one is put in unnecessarily dangerous situations.”

“And if I wanted to… go on an away mission?” Sol asked.

“I would inform you of the pertinent regulations and allow you to make your own decisions, even if my objections were contrary to them. Once you give me an order it would be my duty to carry it out, short of those that would pose a direct danger to the ship or crew.” she answered.

Sol nodded, skimming the PADD again while it lay on the desk. She nodded, smiling.

“Good. I want someone to help me run this ship… not someone who will just tell me yes at every turn, or worse, someone who will tell me no at every turn. I can see you’re quite capable of that.”  she said. She gestured to the carafe of tea on the desk.

“Would you like some tea?” she offered, reaching to pour herself a cup. Amaya nodded, and accepted the mug from the Captain. Sol poured a second one, leaning back in her chair with it.

“This is all new to me, Commander. You aren’t going to have an easy job of it.” she explained. “I’m former intelligence, so while I can be by the book when I have to be, I tend to play things a little loose more often than not.” she added, sipping her tea. Amaya drank her tea quietly as she listened to the Captain’s explanation.

“I understand, ma’am. I will do my best to support you in whatever way I can.” she reassured.

“Once you get settled in… I want you to start coordinating with engineering to get us ready for departure. I have a few more senior staff to meet with before the week is done and we get underway.” Sol said, gesturing to the mountain of PADDs on her desk. “I’ll also start having the majority of these status reports directed to you… I’d appreciate summaries of the less important ones.” she continued, shuffling a few of the PADDs around. She found the PADD with Amaya’s orders and pressed her thumb against it, making the transfer official. She offered the PADD back to Amaya who accepted it and placed it on top of her bag. Sol grinned.

“Welcome to the crew, Commander.” she stated, setting her tea down and extending her hand across the desk. Amaya mirrored the move, shaking hands with her new Captain.

“Thank you ma’am. I wont let you down.” she said. She finished her tea and looked at Solaris, who waved her off.

“Dismissed, Commander. Take some time to get settled and report for duty in two hours. Operations should have your quarters access codes and clearance codes. Talk with Ensign Soren.” she ordered, turning to her terminal. Amaya nodded, and picked up her things as she stood.

“Aye, Captain.” Amaya replied, before turning and leaving the ready room. She pared one glanced back and the pale, snow-white haired, red-eyed woman sitting on the other side of the desk. Her new posting was going to be very interesting. The ready room doors opened as she grew close and closed behind her just as quickly, cutting off her view of the Captain. Now she just needed to find the Ensign the Captain had mentioned, and get her things transferred from the starbase to the ship. She glanced around the bridge, stopping an officer to inquire about Ensign Soren, who was quickly pointed out to her, having been sitting at the Operations station. She strolled over and had a hushed conversation with the young Bajoran, before heading for the turbolift.

Sol watched from the corner of her eye as her now new XO left the ready room, looking back at her. She grinned as the doors shut. That was another officer down. There were only a few more she needed to contact. She needed a Chief Medical Officer, and a Chief Tactical Officer at the minimum.

The crew was shaping up just as well as the ship was and that pleased her. She checked her schedule, seeing that the other candidates weren’t going to arrive until the next day anyway, which gave her more time to be buried in PADDs. Not that she wanted that, but it was currently her lot in life. She sighed, picking up another PADD beginning to read it.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 240111.16

I do hope late officers aren’t going to become a trend aboard this ship. My XO yesterday and today? My CMO. This command is not starting off the way I expected it to. I suppose I should have expected it though… The officer corps are being replenished as fast as possible, so things are bound to be… interesting.

Sol drummed her fingers on her desk. The sound of jazz played quietly in the background. If this was the galaxy’s way of playing a joke on her it wasn’t funny. Just the day before her new XO had been late and now her prospective Chief Medical Officer was late, and not by a little bit either. Properly late. Half an hour late. She frowned standing.

“Computer, pause music.” she stated in a way only an annoyed Irish woman could. She stepped around her desk and headed for the bridge.

The bridge was quiet, most of the engineering crew now below decks, having moved on from their work to fit out the bridge completely. Her XO sat in the center chair, reviewing a report.

“Commander? Still no sighting of this new doctor?” she asked, strolling up to the command seats. Amaya looked up from the PADD shaking her head.

“No… security at the airlock said he had arrived.” she confirmed. “But since then, nothing.”

Sol rolled her eyes, walking over to a console.

“Computer, locate Doctor—” she stopped, trying to remember the name.

“Kael Tarrant.” Amaya helpfully supplied, before returning her gaze to the PADD in her hand.

“Yes, locate Doctor Kael Tarrant.” Sol repeated. The console beeped and the computer soon showed her the location she requested.

“The medical complex? Well if he isn’t jumping the gun…” she muttered. She hurried up to the turbolift near the rear of the bridge and tapped the call button. She was going to find this man and she hoped he had a good explanation. She stepped into the lift when it arrived and spun on her heel to face the door.

“Medical complex.” she called as the doors closed.

The ride down to deck eight was peaceful, and only interrupted once by crew getting onto and then off the lift before it arrived.

Deck eight held the Yamato’s large medical complex. While it wasn’t the size of a starbase’s hospital, it was slightly oversized for a ship of its stature. As part of the role of the Sovereign-class it was expected that not only would it see battle, but it would be there to assist in the recovery after the battle had concluded. The central section of the deck had been turned into a small hospital. Another smaller triage area had also been set up in the engineering section if the ship had to separate. Sol found it a rather sensible design choice. Rather than finding herself in a regulation sick bay she had entered a reception area, where officers buzzed around. Most paid her no mind but one, a nurse, stopped her.

“Captain, welcome to medical. Are you feeling alright?” he asked, a pleasant smile on his face. Sol shook her head.

“I’m fine… I’m looking for a Doctor Kael Tarrant?’ she asked. The nurse thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Ah yes, he came in with a patient about half an hour ago. Follow me please.” the nurse said, starting off toward one of the exam areas. Sol followed, raising an eyebrow. How did one find a patient after just arriving on the ship?

The nurse led her into the exam area, where thankfully most of the biobeds were empty, and the curtains were open. However one seemed to be occupied, its curtains drawn and quiet voices came from within. The nurse stopped, and gestured for Sol to wait. He peered around the curtain.

“Doctor Tarrant? The Captain is here.” he said quietly, though Sol had no trouble actually hearing him. In response the curtain opened and the Doctor turned to face her.

“Doctor Tarrant–” Sol began before getting cut off.

“Captain, my apologies. I can explain, if you would give me a moment.” he started. Sol stopped, nodding for him to continue. He gestured behind him where female Trill lay on the bio bed, fully clothed in uniform. She looked familiar, and it only took Sol a moment to recognize her. She was to be her new Chief of Tactical and Security. She frowned slightly.

“I arrived alongside Commander Shiro. However before I could make my way to the bridge I began to notice she was having difficulties. Rather than simply shuffle her off to another Doctor here, I chose to stay with her and assist her.” he explained. Sol nodded, looking to the woman on the bed.

“I’m sorry Captain… I’m only recently joined… and it has not been an easy process. Things that were once perfectly fine to me are no longer…” the woman explained. Sol couldn’t say she knew what that feeling was like. To suddenly not be able to do things you once were. The body was a mysterious thing and to Sol, the trill joining process even more so. She nodded.

“That’s quite alright, Commander. I take it the Doctor has been doing his best to help you?” she asked, looking back at the raven haired man for a moment.

“Yes he has. Very well too. I’m feeling much better.” she said.

The Doctor smiled, nodding.

“Just rest for the moment, Commander. I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.” he told her patting the back of her hand gently. He stepped away, redrawing the curtain behind him.

“Again, apologies, Captain. I had no intention of being late for our meeting.” he apologized.

“No Doctor… I’d say you did the right thing. The Commander is going to be ok?” she asked. Kael looked back and then nodded.

“Oh yes… she just had a pretty severe bout of space sickness. When I was younger, I got it pretty bad. Nothing a hypospray couldn’t cure. She’s just resting now… probably more worried about being late for her meeting with you.” he said laughing. Sol chuckled and then nodded.

“Well far be it for me to keep you from your patient… I see medical will be in good hands.” she said.

“I hope so, Captain. This will be the largest medical department I’ve served in… other ships never had this much patient space… much less a completely separate area.” he said.

Sol grinned, nodding.

“I’m sure you’re up to the task Doctor.” she stated. Kael nodded.

“Well then, Doctor… carry on.” Sol stated, gesturing to the ward they stood in. She started to turn to leave, before the Doctor cleared his throat.

“Captain… while you’re here… how about we get your initial physical exam out of the way…” he prodded. Sol stopped, looking back. She knew she needed to do it, but hadn’t expected the Doctor to be so upfront about it, especially after being late. Was he overcompensating? She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever. She simply nodded.

“Good… most Captains tend to avoid these like the plague…” he commented gesturing to an empty biobed a bit away from the other occupied one.

Sol stopped over and took a seat as the Doctor retrieved his medical tricorder. He drew the curtain around the biobed and smiled at his new Captain. He waved the scanner wand over her, eyeing the results.

“Heart rate is good, normal temperature… blood pressure is a little high.” he commented, turning the tricorder so she could see.

“Any issues, Captain? Sleeping ok? Eating properly? Undue stress?” he asked. While the questions were quick, they were also deliberate. Sol took a moment to consider.

“I feel fine.” she offered, shrugging some.

“My sleep right now is a bit less than I’d probably like… but I’ve been busy getting this ship ready to deploy. Nor would I say there’s been any ‘undue’ stress, but certainly more than normal.” she continued. The Doctor nodded, setting down the tricorder and moving to continue the exam, prodding her gently to check various muscles and nodes and whatever else he needed to check.

“And eating?” he asked again.

“Yes, I eat when I’m hungry. Often at least twice a day. Sometimes three times.” she said with a nod. He nodded, noting that down.

“That seems fine for now… you’re a healthy weight for your build… though trending slightly toward under weight… so that will be something to keep an eye on.” he said. Hen gently turned her head, feeling behind her jaw then repeated the same with the other die of her head, noting things down. He retrieved the scanner wand and held it up with the tip illuminated a few inches from her face.

“Follow the tip without moving your neck.” he ordered. He was the only person aboard who could get away with that. Sol followed the order, tracking the item with just her eyes for a few moments. He nodded, seeming satisfied.

“Good… now if you’ll just lay back, we can get a quick internal scan and be finished.” he said.

“Really that’s all?” she asked.

“Oh this is just the initial… I’ll have all the crew’s records transferred by Starfleet Medical when we deploy and update them with the results from these exams… and if we need more in depth workups we’ll do it then.” he informed.

Sol shrugged, nodding. She laid back and settled onto the bed fully. The doctor tapped a few controls on the biobed and lowered a scanner arm over her.

“So, Captain… if you don’t mind me asking… is your hair natural, or is white an aesthetic choice?” he asked, beginning the scan.

“All natural. Eyes too.” she answered, preempting his next question.

“And you are not an albino?” he asked.

“According to most Doctors I’ve seen in my life? No. Even with this porcelain skin.” she said. “Not a single Doctor has an explanation. Since it hasn’t affected me negatively, I’ve never really bothered to find out more. I assume it’s some genetic quirk.”

The Doctor nodded, continuing the scan.

“Does this run in your family? Or were you the first?” he asked.

“Runs in the family… but if you were to see a picture of me and my mother… you wouldn’t believe she was my mother.” Sol said.

“Oh?”

“It skips a generation. My mother has “normal” hair and eye colour… Brown and hazel.” she explained. “My grandmother is like me. Further it only affects the woman in my family, on my mothers side.” she added, shrugging before realizing that she probably should be keeping still. The Doctor nodded.

“Interesting… and confusing.” he stated. Sol nodded. It was to her too, but it had never been an issue, medically, in her life so once she had come to terms with it as a young girl, it never bothered her. Indeed it had been a boon when she joined Starfleet Intelligence. White hair and red eyes gave her a fierce look, which was a bonus in interviews or interrogations.

The Doctor soon moved the scanner arm out of the way and gestured for her to sit up.

“Well, white hair and red eyes notwithstanding, you appear to be in good health captain.” he said, smiling. Sol sat up.

“Well that’s a relief.” she stated. While she took care of herself, she was glad to have it confirmed.

“Caffeine intake is a bit high… I’d like to revisit that after we get under way… I understand long days require some exceptions.” he said. Sol nodded.

“I have been drinking a bit more tea than normal…”she supplied. The Doctor nodded.

“It would be foolish of me to try and tell you to cut back I imagine… so just keep an eye on it for now and if you start feeling any negative effects from it, please inform me immediately.” he said. Sol nodded again.

“Will do, Doctor. Thank you.” she said, hopping off the bio bed. She looked to the other occupied bed.

“Tell Ms. Shiro to take her time… I have an empty schedule now. She can report to my ready room when she’s feeling up to it.” she said. Kael nodded.

“I will, Captain.”

“Carry on.” she said, turning to leave the medical complex.

Ok, maybe the galaxy wasn’t playing tricks on her. Instead it seemed to be showing her just how competent her department heads actually were. That was fortuitous, because she was sure things wouldn’t be so easy once they got into space. She strolled out of the medical complex, happy that she had a competent chief medical officer right where she needed him.

Rukia was pretty embarrassed. This wasn’t how she wanted to start her new assignment. She could hear the Doctor and the Captain talking for a moment.

“Again, apologies, Captain. I had no intention of being late for our meeting.” he apologized.

“No Doctor… I’d say you did the right thing. The Commander is going to be ok?” she asked.

“Oh yes… she just had a pretty severe bout of space sickness. When I was younger, I got it pretty bad. Nothing a hypospray couldn’t cure. She’s just resting now… probably more worried about being late for her meeting with you.” he said laughing. The captain chuckled.

“Well far be it for me to keep you from your patient… I see medical will be in good hands.” she said.

“I hope so, Captain. This will be the largest medical department I’ve served in… other ships never had this much patient space… much less a completely separate area.” he said.

“I’m sure you’re up to the task Doctor.” she stated. Kael nodded.

“Well then, Doctor… carry on.” Sol stated, gesturing to the ward they stood in. She started to turn to leave, before the Doctor cleared his throat.

“Captain… while you’re here… how about we get your initial physical exam out of the way…” he prodded. There was silence for a moment, before the Doctor replied.

“Good… most Captains tend to avoid these like the plague…” he commented. The Captain had clearly acquiesced to the request.

Then their voices faded some as they both stepped away, leaving her to her thoughts. Her eyes felt heavy, whatever the Doctor had given her was certainly strong. She yawned as her eyes slowly closed, listening to the gentle hum of the ship and the faint voices from elsewhere in the ward.

When her eyes opened, she jolted up, looking around. Where was she again? She blinked, rubbing her eyes. Oh right, the Yamato. Her new ship. She blinked again. Her new ship?! She had to meet the Captain still and she had been late. She swung her legs to the side sitting up fully right as the curtain surrounding the bio bed opened.

“Ah, Commander, how are you feeling?” the Doctor asked. She looked up, slightly more panicked now that she was remembering just what her current situation was.

“Doctor, how long was I asleep?” she asked. The Doctor glanced at the chrono on the wall.

“Only an hour or so…” he replied, clearly awaiting a response to his other question. Her eyes widened.

“Oh the Captain isn’t going to be happy!” she said, hopping off the biobed. The Doctor sighed, placing his hands on the Trill’s shoulders, stopping her gently. He guided her back to sitting on the bio bed and held his hands in front of her to calm her.

“Before she left the Captain told me to tell you to take your time, and go to her ready room when you were feeling better.” he said, smiling. “She seems to be a very understanding woman… now, how are you feeling, Commander Shiro?” he asked again, crossing his arms.

Rukia tilted her head to the side, processing the information the Doctor had given her, then nodded slowly.

“I feel much better actually… I don’t know what you gave me, but it really did the trick.” she replied, placing her hands in her lap. The Doctor nodded, picking up the PADD that had been serving as her chart. He tapped a few buttons.

“Nothing fancy, just a cocktail of inaprovaline for the space sickness, and improvaline to allow your body to rest and let the inaprovaline to work.” he explained. He set the PADD down, dimming its screen.

“You shouldn’t experience any negative side effects.” he added.

“Well… it’s worked wonders, thank you.” Rukia said, moving to stand again, now a bit more calm.

“Of course. You’re free to go.” he said with a laugh. Rukia smiled sheepishly, but nodded.

“Thank you again, Doctor.” she repeated, stepping around the man. She was late, whether or not the Captain was understanding about it. She needed to freshen up and then report to the ready room.

When she arrived on the bridge about fifteen minutes later she looked much more put together. Her hair was tied back and her uniform was fresh. The bridge itself was quiet, various officers going about their tasks. She glanced about, looking into the lowered section at the rear of the bridge where a holotable sat, displaying their position docked with Deep Space 17. She moved across the bridge, running a hand along the tactical console, which currently sat unoccupied.

“The Captain is in her ready room, Commander.” a voice said from just below the tactical console. A woman was looking up at her, clad in command red with three silver pips on her collar.

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry…” she said, with a bit of a sheepish look. The other woman laughed, shaking her head.

“It’s fine… but I’m sure the Captain is eager to meet you.” she explained. Rukia nodded, , moving around the other side of the tactical station down toward the ready room. She tapped the buzzer, waiting patiently.

“Come.” was the only reply she got as the doors opened. The Captain was seated at her desk, sipping from a cup of tea, eyes buried in a PADD. She glanced up as the doors shut, smiling. She set the PADD down and stood.

“Commander!” she exclaimed, gesturing to a chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Are you feeling better?” she added. Rukia nodded, moving to the offered chair.

“Yes, Captain. Thank you.” she replied, sitting. The Captain also sat setting the cup of tea down in front of her.

“Would you like something to drink?” she offered, gesturing to the warm pot of tea on the desk beside her terminal. Rukia shook her head.

“No thank you.” she said. The Captain simply nodded, shuffling a few PADDs on her desk around, looking for a specific one.

“Ah here it is… sorry… far too many reports on this desk still…” Solaris commented, tapping a few controls on the PADD.

“So, you said you were recently joined?” she asked. Rukia nodded.

“Yes, its only been about a week… just before I left for this assignment actually.” she explained.

“That must be a unique experience? Gaining the experience and memories of so many other lifetimes?” the Captain asked. Rukia chewed her lip for a moment, actually having not had time to really consider it.

“Sometimes… I’m not even sure if I’m ‘me’ anymore…” she started, pausing for a moment. “I mean, I know who I am, who I was but… I also have these memories of things done in past lives. One of my former hosts was a pilot, another a world class musician… there’s like five lifetimes worth of memories in my head now… and it can be overwhelming.” she continued, picking at one of her nails a bit.

Solaris watched her quietly, letting the officer in front of her speak. She wondered how she would deal with suddenly having several lifetimes worth of memories just dumped into her head one day. Sure Trill initiates had intense training, but she didn’t think all the training in the galaxy could prepare someone properly for an experience like that.

“I think that you’re even able to realize and voice that is quite amazing, Commander. I’m not sure I could handle it even half as well.” Solaris admitted, taking a sip of her tea. She waved the PADD a bit as she did. “Your previous captains speak highly of you and your skills as a tactical officer. How do you feel about your skills now that you’ve been joined?” she asked. Rukia tilted her head.

“Completely confident in them, ma’am.” she replied.

“Really? Even with the jumble in your head?” Sol asked. Rukia nodded confidently.

“Yes, Captain. I trained as a tactical officer in the Trill defense force before joining Starfleet, and have served as a tactical officer for my entire career… I have complete confidence in my abilities, regardless of anything else going on with me.” she explained. Sol grinned, nodding.

“That’s what I wanted to hear, Commander. Anyone who can take on the gift you’ve been given, with all it entails and still be confident in themselves, despite everything else… is someone I would want on my crew.”

Rukia tilted her head to the side again. That was it? Even after being late, far more so that she had any right to be.

“Captain?” she asked.

“Welcome aboard the Yamato, Commander Shiro.” Solaris said, smiling, extending her hand. Rukia reached up and grasped it firmly. Sol withdrew her hand after a moment then passed a PADD across the desk. Rukia took it and saw a list of tactical systems that needed addressing.

“The ships tactical systems need checking out, and we don’t have out full complement of torpedoes yet either. Work with engineering and operations and get your department up and running.” Sol ordered.

“Yes, Captain… and thank you.” Rukia said, eyes scanning the list again. There was quite a lot to get done before the ship departed. Sol simply nodded, turning her attention to the terminal on her desk.

“Dismissed, Commander.” she stated.

Rukia stood and nodded, before turning and departing the ready room, still a bit unsure how she had secured the position.

Solaris watched her leave, studying the way she walked out of the ready room, with just a hint of confusion in her stride. She grinned, reaching for her cup of tea. Things had shaped up quite nicely, and the ship was almost ready for departure. The only had a few more days before they needed to launch.

T’Liss looked up from the master systems display table, eyes studying the Yamato’s warp core. It sat powered down currently., the ship relying on power supplied by Deep Space 17. While the Yamato had been transferred to the station under its own power, when it arrived its matter and anti-matter pods were drained so that they could be freshly resupplied before the ship got underway on its new mission. So the core had been powered down and purged of all reactants and coolant. Now she was awaiting the final word from the station’s engineering teams that their work had been completed. A young ensign that she didn’t recognize approached her, holding out a PADD. He avoided her gaze as he did so.

“Ensign?” she asked, accepting the PADD. Most seemed to avoid looking her in the eye, the Borg implants still covering portions of her face tended to elicit this reaction, especially after the incident on Frontier Day.

“Deuterium and anti-matter refueling is complete. Plasma coolant filling will be finished in 5 minutes.” he reported. T’liss scanned the PADD, nodding. She eyed the Ensign once, setting the PADD on the table beside her.

“Very well, Ensign. Thank you.”

The Ensign nodded, and hurried away. While Starfleet and the Federation said they were accepting and open, being an ex-Borg had shown her that it wasn’t always the case. Still it did not bother her. She simply did her work to her customary level of efficiency and did not let such things concern her. Of course there were those who didn’t seem to care either, and that was often a refreshing change of pace. She turned back to face the table, and placed her hands upon it.

“Computer, status report?” she asked, eyes trashing the data readout next to the holographic schematic of the Yamato that hovered above the table. The computer beeped and processed for just a short moment.

“Electro-plasma systems nominal, injector subsystems primed, magnetic constrictors online, matter/anti-matter containment fields standing by.” the computer intoned, highlighting each system on the holographic model as it listed them off. “All systems within normal parameters. Pre-start checklist complete.” it finished. T’liss nodded, not that the computer could actually see her. She tapped a few commands redirecting power from the EPS taps into the reaction chamber.

She keyed in the final sequence, starting the process of warming the reaction assembly up to operating temperature. A cold-start of a warp core was a long process. She had done the sequence before, but not on a Sovereign-class. Their warp cores had lower operating temperatures than the Galaxy-class she had previously served on, but not as low as some of the newer ships. She glanced at the timer, as it ticked down from its fifteen hour start point. This was the longest part. Once the warp core was brought up to temperature, beginning the reaction would only take a matter of minutes. She tapped her commbadge.

“Attention crew: This is the Chief Engineer. Warp core startup sequence in progress. The ship will switch to internal power in fifteen hours. Department heads should contact engineering prior to this time with ready checks or requests for assistance. That is all.” she stated simply, tapping her commbadge again at the end of the message.

“Lieutenant, status?” she asked, looking across the room to one of the people that she had brought with her from the yard.

“EPS plasma flow is stable. Temperature rising thirty-three kelvin per second.” he reported.

“Good. Be ready to start cycling plasma coolant through the system once the filling process finishes.” she ordered, looking back down at the master systems display table again. The holographic representation of the ship had changed to one representing the warp core, showing the power feeding into the core as well as its rising temperature. Things were proceeding apace and she was pleased.

“Run checks every thirty minutes, and keep me apprised of any abnormal changes in the chambers status.” she added, straightening her back as she looked over again. The Lieutenant nodded.

“Aye, Chief.” he responded, looking back to his console. T’liss gave the man a sharp nod and stepped away from the table With the warp core now in its start up sequence, there was not much left for her to do. Engineering teams were finishing up their last jobs and once the ship was on internal power they would be ready to depart. Now she could spare some time to check in on her Captain, and her friend and ensure she really was handling her new position well.

She passed through the large semi-circular isolation door that made up a segment of the wall of engineering and headed for the nearest turbolift.

When she arrived on the bridge, she was pleased to see that only the bridge crew was there now, her engineering teams having long since left. The XO was sitting in the center chair, clearly currently on watch. The two women exchanged a nod as T’liss crossed the bridge down to the ready room door. She tapped the buzzer and waited. There was a muffed sound from inside, and the doors opened admitting the engineer. She had expected to see Solaris sitting behind her desk, but was momentarily confused when she did not see her friend sitting there. It only took a few moments for her friend to speak however and clear up that confusion.

“T’liss, everything ok?” the white haired woman asked, gesturing to one of the comfortable chairs situated across from the couch she was currently occupying. She had her legs tucked up beneath her as she lounged against the arm rest, a book now draped over her leg. T’liss moved to take the chair, sitting gently, sinking slightly in the plush cushioning.

“Thing are proceeding on schedule. I have just begun the warp core startup sequence.” she replied. “We will be ready to switch to internal power by early morning, station time.” she added, folding her hands in her lap. Solaris nodded, reaching out to pick up a cup of tea that was sitting on the coffee table. She sipped it for a few moments.

“Yes, I heard the announcement. Glad to hear it.” Solaris said, swirling the tea around some. She looked down at the cup, then back to T’Liss. “I’m sorry, would you like some tea?” she asked, gesturing to the still steaming pot and the overturned cups. T’liss simply nodded, and began to pour herself a cup. It was not her preferred blend, she had not quite had Solaris’ appreciation for earl grey, but it was adequate.

“What bothers you, Solaris?” she asked simply as she poured some tea into a cup. Sol simply looked at T’liss, debating whether or not to try and lie her way out of the conversation. She sighed, realizing that T’liss would just see through any attempt to lie, and sipped her tea again to buy herself a few more moments.

“It’s nothing…” she started. She held up a hand to stall any comment. “I’m sure every first time Captain has these sorts of doubts.” she added.

“What doubts could you possibly be experiencing?’ T’liss asked, sipping her own tea. “You have proven yourself more than capable, Solaris. Over many years of service.” she continued. Solaris sighed.

“I’m pretty young for a captain, T’liss. Had Frontier Day not happened, I probably wouldn’t have made captain for another few years.” the woman across from her replied.  “It’s hard to ignore that, partly at least, the only reason I’m in this position is because Starfleet is experiencing a serious lack of trained officers.” she continued. “And on what would normally be considered a reasonably prestigious posting no less.” she added as an afterthought. T’liss raised an eyebrow. In the many years she had known Solaris, she had never once seen the woman so full of doubt. It was a far cry from the intelligence officer that had risen to the position of director of intelligence operations for an entire sector.

“Do you doubt yourself, or Starfleet’s reasons?” T’liss asked.

“Both.” the other woman replied. T’liss cocked her head to the side, then shook it.

“Why? Do you not believe you are capable of what’s being asked of you?”

“If it were that simple, T’liss… we might not be having this conversation.” Solaris said, sighing again.

“It is that simple, Solaris. You were the director of intelligence for an entire sector, and eventually executive officer of a starbase. This was the next logical step. You are not incapable of leading others. Of leading them into danger, and getting them out of the same.” T’liss said. “Do not doubt your ability. I have been witness to it more than enough to know you can do whatever task is set in front of you.” she continued. “As for the timing of this… it is irrelevant. It has happened now, and in the eyes of Starfleet Command, you were deemed ready. There is no way to know what would have happened if Frontier Day had been just another normal day. You may have still made captain at this time. Or it may have taken longer. Getting caught up in that detail does nothing but serve to distract you.”

Solaris was quiet for several moments.

“There are times I wish I had your clarity and certainty.” she eventually said. She didn’t fully feel better about things, but just hearing another’s opinion had been a help. That it had been one of the only officers on the ship she had known prior to her arrival didn’t hurt either. She would get over it, she had to. While she had been director of intelligence on 234, or the XO and had lead others like T’liss had pointed out, there had always been someone else above her, leading her. Now she was in that position, and she had to lead the entire ship. She had a good senior staff, Starfleet had been kind enough to see to that. All she had to do was trust in herself and in them.

“If you did, I do not think our conversations would be as intriguing as they often are, Solaris.” T’liss replied, with what had almost sounded like a bit of humor. Solaris chuckled, knowing better.

“No probably not.” she admitted. “Thank you for attempting to allay my fears…” she added, smiling. T’liss simply nodded.

“It’s only logical.” she replied. Sol laughed. Maybe it was, but it still meant a lot that T’liss had tried. She shook her head.

“And what of you? Have you settled in well?” she asked. T’liss simply nodded.

“I have. My time at the fleet yards was fulfilling, but it is agreeable to only have to tend to a single vessel.” she said. Solaris nodded, understanding the feeling.

“And the crew you brought over? Are they all happy as well?” Solaris asked.

“They have given me no indication otherwise. I thank you for letting me bring them.” she replied, sipping her tea.

“I know it can be hard to train up a new staff… and getting them up to snuff while also getting the entire ship ready to deploy would have just been a needless pain point…” Solaris said, waving her hand dismissively. T’liss simply nodded. There were times where her friend could show the barest trace of Vulcan logic. They were always a surprise.

“It has made things noticeably smoother.” T’liss admitted.

“That was the idea.” Solaris admitted. “I know I can count on you, T’liss, to keep this ship going. No one else I’d rather have for the job.” she added, smiling.

“And I would not have left the yards for just any captain.” T’liss admitted. “You will excel Solaris, just like you always have. Trust in that.” she added, finishing the last of her tea. She set the cup on the table and stood.

“Thank you for the tea… I should return to engineering.” the Vulcan said, Solaris smiled, watching the her leave the ready room. Maybe she was right. She would find out soon enough. She reached down for the book on her leg, and chuckled again, shaking her head. She traced a finger along some of the words, refinding her position, letting her eyes continue following the words when she did. Time would tell and it was drawing nearer.

Solaris stepped out of her ready room and onto the bridge of the Yamato, her ship. Her. Ship. It still hadn’t sunk in. Almost a week had passed since she had arrived at Deep Space 17. A week since she had first laid eyes upon the Yamato. It was then as it was now: A repository of boundless possibility. Deep Space 17 sat at the very edge of Federation space. Beyond its reaches, laid the great unknown. That was their ultimate destination. Places that no Starfleet officer had ever seen.  She looked around the bridge standing just in front of the door to her ready room. No one had noticed her yet, each officer tending to their stations, and they were all full now. The time had come. She started toward the command chair, causing her first officer to look up.

“Captain on the bridge!” she called, causing the rest of the officers to straighten up and pay attention. Sol held up her hand, stopping just in front of the command chair. She smiled, looking at each of the officers assembled in turn. They were all expecting her to say something. She had been mulling over that for the past week, in addition to all her other worries. She took a breath and then another, before tapping a command on the arm of the chair in front of her. A bosun’s whistle sounded, signifying that her voice would be transmitted ship wide.

“As I stand here, looking at each of you, I’m reminded of just how fortunate I am to lead this crew on the Yamato. We are each here because we chose to serve a purpose greater than ourselves—to explore the unknown, protect the Federation, and, I think, to discover a bit more about who we are in the process.” she began, stepping around the railing that made up the tactical console to walk toward the aft end of the bridge, slowly taking in each person on the bridge.

“I won’t pretend I’m not aware of the significance of this moment, nor of my own nerves as I take on this role for the first time. This is my first command, and I’ll be honest: I’ve thought about what to say in this speech more times than I can count. But it’s in these moments, standing here with all of you, that I realize that a captain’s command isn’t built on titles or speeches; it’s built on the trust and dedication of the people around them.” she continued, stepping around the rear of the tactical console, passing just behind her Chief Tactical Officer. She placed a hand on her shoulder, as she continued down the otherside of the bridge, to complete the loop.

“Our mission ahead is uncertain. Our course will take us beyond the Federation’s boundaries into uncharted space, to places no one from Earth” she paused, looking to Doctor Tarrant, sitting opposite Amaya, “or Bajor” she continued, looking to Ensign Soren, “or Vulcan has ever seen before.” she finished, eyes landing on her longtime friend, T’liss.

“We’ll face unknowns, dangers we can’t foresee, and I can promise you that there will be times when we’ll need to rely on each other more than we ever have before. In those moments, we’ll rise together, and I have every confidence in this crew.” she said.

“Each of you is here because you bring something essential to this ship. To Starfleet, you’re the best of the best, to me, you’re my crew. I couldn’t ask for better. And though this is my first command, I will give everything I have to honor your dedication, your skills, and your sacrifices. We’re going to learn and grow together out there. We’re about to embark on something remarkable. And I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share this journey with than all of you. So, thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for trusting each other. Let’s make this first mission a success, not for ourselves, but for every Starfleet crew who has blazed this trail before us and every crew that will come after.” she finished, completing the loop, ending up back in front of the command chair. There was no applause, but she could see each person on the bridge giving her words thought. She smiled, approaching her command chair, finally taking a seat. She looked over at Amaya, who nodded at her.

“Very good, Captain.” she whispered. Sol nodded back.

“Departure stations.” she ordered. “Ensign Soren, contact station operations and request departure clearance. Helm set thrusters to station keeping.” she added.

“Aye ma’am.” the helm officer responded.

“Station operations has granted us clearance and a clear path out of the traffic pattern, Captain.” Soren called. Sol nodded.

“Retract the docking umbilical. Clear all moorings. Helm, port thrusters at one quarter. Clear us from the station.” she continued. There were a series of dull thuds as the moorings keeping them tethered to the station were detached, leaving the Sovereign-class vessel to float freely for just a few moments before the port thrusters fired, pushing the ship away from the station. Sol waited for a few moments as the distance grew, watching the station disappear out of view on the view screen.

“T’liss do we have impulse power?” she asked.

“Yes, Captain. All propulsion systems are functioning properly.” the Vulcan replied.

“Helm, one quarter impulse until we clear the station’s perimeter, then take us to full impulse.” she ordered. The helm officer looked back.

“Course captain?” they asked. Sol studied the viewscreen, eyes focusing on a star.

“That way.” she said simply. The helm officer cracked a grin, and laid in the course, setting the Yamato off toward the unknown. Sol didn’t know what they would find, but she was excited by the prospect.