It had been a very busy last two months for the USS Culver City in the Shackleton Expanse.  She and her crew had been put through their paces, though one would be hard-pressed to find a single person aboard, from her captain to the newest crewperson, who would even think to hesitate before saying that they felt they and their consorts on the Blythe (and later the April), the Slivin, and the Santa Monica had left the Duwalla system in a far better place than they’d found it.  It hadn’t been easy at times, that was for sure, and there were some hard-learned lessons, but even so the general sense of the crew was that they’d done their job, and done it well.

That job was now over.  With the end of Bravo Fleet’s two-month mission in the Expanse approaching swiftly, and with her assigned tasks all completed, the only thing that remained was for Culver City to head for the barn, back by way of Framheim and the transwarp conduit and then on home to Starbase 86.  Lieutenant Commander Varyn K’lev, the ship’s captain – he finally had started accepting that title, instead of stubbornly insisting on calling himself ‘the commanding officer’ – stepped out of his ready room onto the bridge, crossing to his seat and standing beside it.  “Well, I dunno about you all, but I’d say it’s about time we got underway,” he said after taking a deep breath.  “We ready for warp, Ari?”

Lieutenant (jg) Ari Phillips, Culver City’s helmsman, nodded.  “Just waiting on you,” they replied.

K’lev looked around the room.  “Another rough one, this, but we did good work here.  I’m proud of all of you, and I hope you’re all proud of yourselves too.”  He smiled.  “Now let’s go home.  Ari, set course for Framheim Station and the transwarp conduit, warp 6.”

The bridge crew seemed to relax at their captain’s words, sharing relieved smiles around the compartment.  “Course plotted and laid in,” Phillips answered.

K’lev took his seat, almost reclining slightly against the side of the chair.  “Let’s roll,” he replied; with a press of a control by Phillips, Culver City smoothly broke orbit of Derganix, and once she’d cleared the planetary gravity well her nacelles flared to life, the ship accelerating to warp speed.

The transit to Framheim was fairly uneventful.  As the ship passed the system she’d quickly explored on her way to the Duwalla system, Lotharys looked wistful, but didn’t press the point and ask for a quick stop for further mapping.  Even if she had, though, it would have proved unnecessary, as automated updates to the navigational charts proved that a survey ship had already been through the system while Culver City was going about her business.  As a welcome touch, they were later to learn that the survey team had given credit for the discovery of the gravitational anomaly they’d examined as part of the mapping effort to the California-class vessel, instead of keeping it for themselves – a rare treat for a humble utility cruiser that almost never got to do any proper exploration.

As Culver City approached Framheim Station, K’lev looked back to Lieutenant Lotharys.  “Think we can spare a day or two for a quick shore leave before we finish the run back to 86?  Or should we just push on, and give everyone a longer leave once we’re back in port?”

Lotharys thought for a moment.  “Let’s take a day,” she said.  “I don’t think that’ll hurt too much,” she finished with a smile.

K’lev grinned; he’d been thinking much the same thing.  “Alrighty then,” he said, clapping his hands together as he turned to look at Lieutenant (jg) Tiza at Ops.  “Tiza, would you mind asking Framheim if they mind us staying over a day and letting our crew unwind for a moment?  We should also try to arrange a more fulsome leave for everyone once we’re back at 86, but hopefully this’ll help tide everyone over until then.”

“On it!” Tiza replied, working his console.  A response came quickly.  “Framheim says we’re good to go!  They do add that we’ll have to be in an orbiting point, so we’ll need to keep a skeleton crew aboard.”

K’lev nodded.  “I figured that might be the case.  Tell them we’ll take it, and let’s arrange for the crew and more junior officers to stretch their legs.”  He paused for a moment.  “And also let them know that we lost a crewman on our assignment, and need to transfer his effects for return to his family.”

Tiza nodded, setting to his captain’s orders.  A short time later, Culver City dropped out of warp just outside the outer markers for Framheim Station, arcing in-system and proceeding towards the station under impulse power.  In time, the station’s docking control contacted Culver City, vectoring her to her orbital position.

Once Phillips had the ship settled into position orbiting the station, K’lev looked to Tiza, who nodded.  “It’s all set up,” Tiza said in answer to the unasked question.

“Great!” K’lev answered.  “Go ahead and let everyone know, so we can start beaming them over; please make sure they know they’ve just got a day at the moment, but there’ll be a proper leave to come later.”

Over the next day, Culver City was largely a ghost town, the bulk of her complement rotated to the station to stretch their legs, possibly do some shopping, dine elsewhere than one’s quarters or in CeeCee’s, and possibly play a little at some of the station’s recreational offerings.  Only the senior officers remained aboard, running the ship while their juniors took a much-needed breath.  Fortunately, the ship was still in good shape, in spite of the prolonged deployment, so there were only a few matters that needed attention; this allowed even the senior officers a chance to rest.  For some, the rest took the form of extra sleep; for others, perhaps, prolonged visits to the ship’s holodecks or the lounge.  For K’lev and Lotharys, it took the form of a quiet day spent together in K’lev’s cabin, followed by a date night in CeeCee’s.

The end of this day of rest, though, came all too quickly, and soon the time approached for Culver City to depart for her return to Starbase 86.  With all crew now aboard – some, perhaps, nursing hangovers, but he made sure that no records to that effect were made – K’lev took his seat.  “Tiza, if you would, please ask Framheim for clearance to depart.”

Tiza worked his console for a moment, then nodded to his captain.  “They say we’re clear to break orbit, and wish us a pleasant journey.”

“Please give them our best, and thank them for letting us take a bit of leave,” K’lev replied, then turned to Phillips.  “Okay, Ari; take us out of the station’s pattern, outbound for the transwarp conduit.”

With a short burst from her thrusters, Culver City broke orbit of Framheim Station, heading out-system at full impulse.  A short flight later, the grand nimbus of the transwarp conduit back to the Vadia system filled her viewscreen.  K’lev couldn’t help but smile at the sight.  “Well?  What say you we go for another ride?” he asked the room at large.

The rest of his bridge crew exchanged grins as Phillips chuckled.  “Sounds like a plan to me,” they said, their fingers dancing across their console and sending Culver City arcing into the conduit.

At the conclusion of her transit, Culver City exited the transwarp conduit back in the Vadia system.  As she had been two months prior, nearby hung in space the hulking form of the Borg Cooperative vessel, keeping her faithful vigil over the conduit.  K’lev felt a hint of a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, a sensation which itself also drew a smile to his face, albeit of another kind; once assimilated by the Borg, even if not for long, and here he was, happy to see a Borg ship, an irony very much not lost on him.  “Send our compliments to the Cooperative vessel, Tiza,” he said, “and tell them it’s nice to see them again.”

Tiza sent the message, and the reply came in swiftly.  “They say they’re pleased to see us again as well, and bid us a safe journey,” he relayed.

K’lev nodded, the smile widening slightly.  “And to them,” he answered.  As Tiza relayed the message, Lotharys leaned over her console.  “Ready to get home?” she asked.

He nodded.  “Definitely,” he replied.  “Ari, take us to Starbase 86, warp 8.”

Culver City bore around, reorienting for her new course.  Phillips held her at impulse power until the ship had cleared the conduit aperture’s well, then the nacelles flared as Culver City leapt away, beginning the final leg of her run for home.

A few uneventful days later, Phillips saw something on their navigational chart.  “We’re coming up on the Raeya system,” they announced.

K’lev nodded.  “Feels nice, being nearly back,” he said to nobody in particular.

Lotharys smiled in agreement.  “It sure does,” she said, a sentiment that seemed to be shared by the entire bridge crew.

“How much longer until we drop to impulse, Ari?” K’lev asked.

“Just a few more minutes,” came the reply.

True to their word, a few minutes later Culver City dropped to impulse power.  Ahead, basking in the light of Raeya’s star, floated Starbase 86, a large duranium island among the many pinpricks of light, and Culver City’s home port.  “Passing the outer markers now,” Phillips announced.

“What say you we let them know we’re home, Tiza?  And we should probably go ahead and send our report and sensor logs, too,” K’lev said in reaction.

Tiza and Lotharys both shifted their focus to their consoles.  Tiza looked up first; after all, sending a quick message took less time than sending a large report and a lot of sensor data.  “They say welcome back, and that bay 4 is clear for us to dock,” he reported.

“Bay 4 works for me; please give the dockmaster our compliments, and let them know when we’re ready for them to take over,” K’lev answered.  “Until then, steady as she goes, Ari.  Full impulse to the inner marker, then slow to one-quarter until we’re on final approach; if the dockmaster doesn’t take over then, we’ll go to thrusters to dock ourselves.”

Culver City edged her way closer to the starbase; fortunately, K’lev’s concern about self-docking proved unnecessary as the dockmaster was ready to take over via tractor beam once the ship was close enough.  The starbase’s beam gently drew the California-class ship into bay 4, then her berth, where umbilicals and boarding gantries were waiting to connect after the docking clamps engaged.  Home once more, Culver City’s engines spun down, the old vessel ready for a well-earned rest before whatever the future would hold for her.