—- USS Falcon, Bridge —-

“Approaching Starbase 86 for docking,” Lieutenant Thomas Winfield said. The station readied a berth for the Excelsior II-class ship as it approached. It had left the starbase on its last mission short-staffed and had taken crew from the USS Selene in order to complete its assignment. Now the crew were finding out if they were going to be replaced as a more permanent crew took over or if they had earned their temporary elevation of duties. Winfield, for example, had been the Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer and now as just a Lieutenant had complete control over the department.
Captain Paul Aike nodded, seemingly satisfied with the state of the ship. Nodding at his first officer, Commander Ashley Atwell, he said, “Inform Captain Radak and his team that we are docking. I’m going to go check on our engineering department and then go find us a medical team.”

— USS Falcon, Engineering —

Captain Paul Aike had come up first in engineering and then operations on this very ship. Back then it was an Excelsior-class, but despite the changes in the overhaul, he liked to think that he belonged down there in engineering. He entered and smiled at the engineering team, most of whom were new, including his current chief engineer.
Lieutenant Murf smiled as he entered.
The Lanthanite woman approached, as the other engineers looked unsure of why the captain was down there. Apparently, Aike thought, Captain Carrillo did not go to the USS Selene’s engine room often.
“Captain,” Murf said. Aike knew that despite the fact that she looked incredibly young, she was the oldest thing on this ship by several centuries, if not thousands of years. He instinctively did not like that she looked barely out of the academy and had to remind himself that she was more experienced than even him, though she was only a Lieutenant.
“How are you finding the Falcon?” Aike said. Like many of the crew of the Selene, that had come over, Lieutenant Murf had bounced around on various ships and then followed the Captain Cruz over from the USS Luna to the Selene. It was only the offer of a Chief Engineering role that had brought her to the Falcon.
“It’s pretty straightforward,” Murf said. “I understand you were here at some point?”
Aike smiled, “I worked in Engineering, was even the Chief Engineer for a spell back when this was the old USS Falcon before the refit.”
Murf nodded taking it in. It was clear to her that even though it had been over a decade since he’d last worked in engineering and the ship had changed class through being refitted since then, the captain retained more interest in the department than was usually expected. She neither knew him well enough nor was senior in rank enough to be able to make sure that he understood that this was her domain. That trust or authority would have to be earned over time.
“Look around. We’re getting the full team while docked this week, so it’s quiet for now,” she said and gestured to the department.

—- Starbase 86, Medical Bay —-

Doctor Askr Njord saw Captain Paul Aike enter the medical bay and nodded, coming over to greet him. Though he knew what it was that the captain was visiting him for and knew that he’d say no already. In fact to save them both a lot of trouble he included his answer in his greeting.
“Captain good to see you,” Njord said, “and no I don’t want to be CMO on the Falcon.”
“You haven’t been on it since the overhaul, since we were lieutenants,” Aike said.
“I’m sure it’s nice but I’ve been on a few ships and I’m happy here in surgery on a station. I’m dating a Dabo girl,” the doctor said, “I did the CMO thing for a year on the USS Crouton and I have no interest in doing it again.”
“You just made that up, there is no USS Crouton,” Aike pointed out.
He was used to Njord’s refusal to take on a role on not only his ship but any ship. Njord was an excellent surgeon but a terrible officer as shown by the fact that he was still a Lieutenant and not commanding his own ship. Aike believed, with. I evidence, that given the right motivation Doctor Njord could be a great officer. It was just that the normal carrot and stick of the Federation were ill equipped to handle the doctor.
The doctor listened, not buying the offer as the captain listed off the reasons to be assigned to one of the new Excelsior II ships, including the expansive medical bays and the great crew he was assembling.
“And then there is Commander Attwell,” Aike said, “She’s the XO and a great officer and…”
“Ashley Attwell?” Njord confirmed.
“Yes, Commander Attwell,” Captain Aike nodded.
“And she okayed me joining your crew?” Njord asked.
“Well no I haven’t run your name past her, I don’t want anyone telling me who is on my crew,” Aike said.
“Oh this will be fun then, the answer’s yes,” Njord said.
“Come on down tomorrow I’ll have Operations set up your medical bay you’ll need to recruit more doctors,” Captain Aike said already mentally checking off the Chief Medical Officer role from his must hires.

—- USS Falcon, Medical Bay One —-

Commander Ashley Attwell followed the captain into the medical bay to meet the ship’s new Chief Medical Officer and upon seeing him began yelling which was not what Captain Aike had expected.
“What the [redacted] is he doing here?” Attwell said looking for something to throw at CMO.
“You know him?” Aike asked, puzzled.
“We were engaged,” Njord said, surprised that the captain had not followed up on how he knew the commander.
“Until you stood me up at the alter to run off with a Dabo Girl,” Attwell said, fuming, “I haven’t seen you for years until you show up on my ship?”
“My ship,” Aike said, not quite feeling confident in his new hire now. He knew that Njord was a scoundrel with a weakness for Dabo Girls, but he had not anticipated that he would have run out of his First Officer on their wedding day. Or even that the two knew each other.
“You didn’t ask me?” Attwell said, glaring at him.
“I didn’t know,” Aike said holding his hands up.
Njord grinned, “This is as fun as I expected. Alright I’ll go now back to Starbase 86. This was fun.”
Attwell pointed at him, “You’re the damn CMO, recruit a medical team. You want off this ship, your commanding officer has to approve your transfer and that’s me.”
Turning to Aike she pointed at him, “You start talking to me, no more of this old boys network nonsense. I’m your First Officer, I could be on another ship but I picked this one. I picked you as a CO, so live up to that.”
“So can I go back to my peaceful life on the Starbase now?” Njord asked after she had stormed out of the sick bay.
“No, she’s in charge of transfers out, I’m not going through all that to have you sneak off. Congratulations Njord, you’re a CMO now,” Captain Aike said as he headed out, he needed a drink.

—- Senior Officer’s Lounge, Starbase 86 —-

After the debacle with the Chief Medical Officer Commander Ashley Attwell had taken over recruiting for the ship. Most of the crew were being pulled from various points, junior officers being given a chance as seniors to help fill the 500 people they needed to fill. First though they needed an Operations Officer, and if Attwell had her way she was going to recruit one on the Starbase.
Lieutenant Leylani Aka had agreed to meet. What Attwell had discovered was that recruiting for the USS Falcon had proven to be harder than she had anticipated. With Starfleet short staffed since Frontier Day the best of the best were going for spots aboard Galaxy-class, Ross-class, and other prestigious ships. Everyone wanted to explore the unknown, to seek out new life and new civilizations, and were not interested in putting in the hard yards aboard a competent but unexciting Excelsior II-class. So like she had taken the First Officer slot because it had represented a step forward in her career, she had to find officers lower down the ranks ready to step up.
Leylani Aka was one such officer. Originally her people, however many generations back, had come from Hawaii, but a few generations ago had moved to a human colony at the edge of the Badlands. It was not as ideal as Attwell believed Hawaii was, but it was also not overrun by tourists after having been corrupted by plantations and corporations. It was a chance for a proud people to live and build away from having to be props in a kabuki version of their traditional way of life.
“You know I’m comfortable aboard the Tokyo,” Leylani said, she spoke slowly, not wanting to show her hand. As if they’d started playing cards.
“You will be our Chief Operations Officer,” Attwell said, playing her best hand (to continue the metaphor).
Leylani was quiet. Attwell knew she wasn’t even the Assistant Chief Engineering Officer aboard the Tokyo. Hence a shift in both department and position might be appealing. Attwell could tell the woman was thinking about it, as if playing three dimensional chess, or the aforementioned card game.
“So what’s the catch?” Leylani asked.
“Does there have to be a catch?” Attwell asked.
“Throughout time there has always been a catch when something looks too good to be true,” Leylani said.
“The catch is I’ve spoken to two other officers who turned me down. The fleet took a hit on Frontier Day and it’s hard to convince people to join up after we had half of the fleet become Borg-ified. We’re not the most thrilling post in Starfleet, but it’s a stepping stone, or at least that’s what I hope,” Attwell said, opting for transparency over some elaborate trick. She had the same doubts about the future, and was not sure if this was the right career move for herself. She’d made the leap to First Officer, but the truth was that she wanted to be an explorer too, doing defensive duty was vital but unexciting. She knew that she had to put together a great crew, and unfortunately that meant having her ex-fiancé as the Chief Medical Officer.
Leylani Aka was quiet and then the lieutenant nodded, “Okay, I’ll accept that. I prefer dealing with straight shooters, lots of senior officers would have tried to tell me this was the best assignment in the fleet. I’d rather be on a ship with an honest XO than one that had bought into their own hype.”
“Alright, I’ll have the transfer documents sent to your commanding officer,” Attwell said, “and you can come aboard in the next week. We’re restocking and then setting off.”
Leylani nodded, “Alright, I’ll make arrangements. Thank you ma’am.”
Attwell grinned, “Glad to have you aboard Lieutenant.”

—- USS Falcon, First Officer’s Office —-

Attwell was tired, the ship was just setting out and after taking over the job of filling up their roster from Captain Aike she had been working non-stop. If anything the current situation told her was that Starfleet had a surplus of ships, but was needing crews. Captain Aike had been apologetic, without being too sorry for bringing her ex-fiancé onto the ship as the CMO. To an extent Attwell understood. Despite his many personal flaws Doctor Askr Njord was a competent physician and a good leader. Everyone outside of Starfleet believed that everyone in Starfleet was all paragons and flawless, when the truth was while the best-of-the-best ended up on the USS Enterprise or whatever ship was currently the flagship the fleet was imperfect staffed by imperfect people. Most of them were good well meaning and good at their jobs, but people (even Vulcans) were messy and made mistakes.
Her door chimed and she looked up from the PADD report on the waste reclamation statistics that she was reading, “Come.”
Lieutenant Torma the Chief Counsellor entered, “Can I sit?”
Attwell nodded, gesturing to an open seat on the other side of her desk, “Sure sit.”
“I’m not a telepath, so I have to do this the old fashioned way,” the young Lieutenant said, “how are you doing?”
Attwell smiled, “Already trying to shrink my head?”
“Well both Captain Aike and Captain Radak told me they didn’t believe in needing counseling, so yes I’m trying to be useful,” Torma said.
Attwell chuckled, “Old men, are set in their ways.”
“It’s not like Freud just started working last year, this isn’t new,” Torma said.
“No but there’s a certain kind of man who believes that problems, all problems, can be overcome with sheer force of will. But as to myself, tired but I think we have a good crew,” Attwell said.
“Now you just have to get us all walking the same direction,” Torma said.
“That’s the job,” Attwell admitted. Torma was young, but then most of the crew was. She’d come up from the USS Luna and USS Selene. Attwell wondered what it would do to the Falcon, having the junior crew from their more prestigious Division mate.
“Just make sure you’re balancing the job and your life,” Torma said, “Work isn’t the end all be all of who you are.”
Attwell nodded, she knew that. Yet at this stage of her life it felt important, she had to establish herself for the next stage. Her own command, a crew of her own without two Captains overseeing her, and hiring her ex as the Chief Medical Officer.
“I know,” Attwell said, knowing that she might know this intellectually but it was harder to actually live the message, to take time to herself.
“We’re going to have this talk a lot aren’t we?” Torma said, knowing that Attwell was not being honest with either the counsellor or herself.
“Probably,” admitted Attwell.