Captain Fabien Oteng, USS Amazon

Captain Oteng awoke with a start, looking at his darkened surroundings with bleary, sleep-worn eyes. He could not see much in the darkened cabin, so after getting his bearings for a moment, he called out “Computer, lights on, dim setting, about 45% of full.” There was a trilling of the computer, and slowly, the lights turned on. They weren’t too bright, but bright enough that he could see that he was still in the guest quarters of the USS Amazon, the runabout he had borrowed from Starbase Bravo. Before then, he had sought transport on the USS Brisbane from Starbase 1 to Starbase 23, then on the USS Uhura from Starbase 23 to Starbase Bravo.

His mind turned to the beginning of his deployment, after his 6 month leave of absence, when he reported to Starfleet Command’s Operation Division to find out what ship was to be his first command. There, he was met by Commodore Matthew Delaney, who informed Fabien that his first command would be a newly refitted USS Los Angeles (New Orleans class), a ship that was then, undergoing extensive renovations at Starbase 86. Commodore Delaney informed him that his ship was assigned to Task Force 86, Group 25 of Bravo Fleet; once he made it out to Starbase 86, he would be briefed further on his mission and what the fleet needed. Captain Oteng accepted the command, surprised that he was being sent to the frontier of Federation space.

Shaking the thoughts from his sleep-addled mind, Fabien got out of bed and headed to the washroom to freshen up and prepare for the day. The runabout that had been given to him at Starbase Bravo was a VIP transport, with two private modular quarters taking up the space of the modular mission pods; he was grateful for that small blessing, as he had used runabouts before, and the bunks (aside from being uncomfortable) had no privacy. Granted, on this trip, he wasn’t really sharing his runabout with anyone; he was informed upon the Uhura’s arrival to Starbase Bravo that the rest of his senior staff was en route to Starbase 86 through their different means; they would all receive guest quarters on the starbase for a few days before they transferred onto the Los Angeles. Fabien smiled as he looked in the mirror, excited internally at seeing the Los Angeles for the first time once he got there. Turning away from the washroom station, he grabbed his “seabag,” or Starfleet issue duffle bag and pulled out his uniform. He knew that he didn’t “need” to wear his uniform, but it felt weird to NOT wear it. After pressing it, he put it on, and after polishing his shoes (a habit he had carried with him since he was an Ensign), he headed out to the conference room in the aft section of the Amazon for breakfast.

Dr. Kadin Rehman, USS Hopkins

Dr. Rehman attended to his patients during his morning rounds onboard the Starfleet Hospital Ship USS Hopkins, though he was not assigned to the Hopkins permanently. About a week after he was relieved of duty on the Orville, he was summoned to the office of the director of Starfleet Medical. Worried that he was about to get his career handed to him, he had attended with a lot of trepidation. During the meeting, Dr. Rehman was told that he was being reassigned to the USS Los Angeles, currently undergoing a major refit at Starbase 86. The director informed Dr. Rehman that he could take 6 months leave to visit family on Earth, then he would have to report to the USS Hopkins, a hospital ship heading to Starbase 86, as a senior attending physician. Dr. Rehman accepted the assignment, and waltzed out the door, thrilled that he would be serving on a frigate as CMO.

Six months later, Kadin was on a shuttle from his family home in Dubai to Starbase 1, where the Hopkins was preparing to depart for Starbase 86, with the USS Omaha as its escort. He was given one of the larger wards within the Hopkins, excellent practice for running his own sickbay. Because the trip was routine, there wasn’t much to do for the medical staff, so his days were actually spent socializing and having fun with his colleagues. It had been a while since he had served onboard a hospital ship, and because Starfleet wasn’t transporting casualties, the patients he was in charge of were mostly civilians that sought Starfleet treatment due to the lack of treatment on their homeworlds. Even so, the ship was still under capacity, and so once his rounds were completed, he was free.

Surprisingly, the Olympic-class starship managed a relatively brief cruise time to Starbase 86, and soon, Dr. Rehman bid farewell to his colleagues onboard the Hopkins. When he reported to the personnel office onboard Starbase 86, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was one of the first (and only) Los Angeles crewmembers that had arrived. The Captain had sent his ETA earlier, and it would be a few days before he arrived by runabout, and most other members were still days out as well, as most were coming from the other side of the quadrant. Kadin was assigned guest quarters to await the arrival of the Captain and other officers.

Commander Brooke Abramov, Starbase 86

Brooke jogged along the habitat ring of the Aurora-class starbase, keeping up their exercise regimen that they had closely cultivated since the academy. Their long hair tied back in a ponytail, she slowed to a walk as they looked at their watch to see what their time was. ‘Damn, nearly beat my personal best for the 3 mile run’ Brooke thought as they stretched and approached the communal replicator, seeking a bottle of cold water. Standing in front of the replicator, they spoke their order: “Computer, one medium-sized hydration bottle filled with cold water.” The computer trilled and did its thing, and soon, a water bottle with the Starfleet logo was in the receptacle. Grabbing and drinking it, she set off toward her guest quarters at a slow walk, enjoying a part of the arboretum as she returned to her section of the habitat ring.

After hopping in the shower and changing into their uniform, Brooke sat down and looked out into space, seeing the constant ballet of ships and transports that went in and out of the station and they started to reminisce about the journey that had led them to await the arrival of Captain Oteng and the rest of the senior staff. While onboard the Midway, Brooke was summoned to Captain Liebenberg’s ready room for what Brooke thought would be a routine command meeting. Once there, however, Captain Liebenberg rather tearfully informed his first officer that they would be transferring to a new ship, one that was currently undergoing a refit at Starbase 86. The Midway, Brooke’s ship, would drop her off at Starbase 86 during a scheduled stop about three days from the day of the meeting, and Brooke would most likely have some time to themselves during the transition.

Captain Fabien Oteng, USS Amazon

Captain Oteng sat at the right seat of the Amazon, inputting commands into the interface, when the comms channel dinged; signaling that he was being hailed. Opening a channel, he heard the standard Starfleet greeting when approaching any Starfleet base.
”Unidentified vessel, you are approaching Starbase 86 controlled space, please identify and respond. Squawk 2277 on the transponder if unable to communicate.”
“Starbase 86 control, this is USS Amazon, Captain Fabien Oteng at the helm. Request permission to dock at Starbase 86.”
“Roger, Captain, transponder received and acknowledged. USS Amazon registry verified. Clear to approach, contact Starbase 86 docking control for further instructions. For the record sir, what is the purpose of your visit here at Starbase 86?”
“I’m here to take command of the USS Los Angeles, the New Orleans class starship that is undergoing a refit.”
“Copy that, sir. Congratulations on your command. Clear to proceed, sir.”
“Thank you…who am I speaking with?”
“This is Lieutenant Lucy Hutcheson, Starbase 86 perimeter control. Have a good day sir, and welcome to Starbase 86.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Hutcheson. Have a good day.”
Captain Oteng closes the channel and gently rubs his eyes while taking a deep breath. It had been a long trip from Starbase Bravo, but he was anxiously looking forward to having his new command and meeting his staff. He was unaccustomed to having his staff arrive piecemeal, but the wide deployment of his new command staff necessitated certain…flexibilities.

Soon, Starbase 86 started coming into view, and he took a moment to admire the Aurora-class starbase before tapping more commands into the interface, opening a channel to approach control.
“Starbase 86 control, this is USS Amazon, on approach.”
“USS Amazon, Starbase 86 approach control, follow heading and prepare for Pad seven approach, confirm craft is Danube-class runabout.”
“Starbase 86 approach control, USS Amazon, I copy instructions; preparing for Pad seven approach.”
“Confirmed, Amazon, we have you on sensors. Free to proceed, Captain.”“Copy that, control. Good day.”

Onboard the station…

The senior staff officers of the Los Angeles all gathered around one of the conference rooms of the Starbase, with the window overlooking the main spacedock facility and above all, looking over the USS Los Angeles, which was still being worked on, even at this late hour. The Senior Staff had been very talkative, getting to know each other, though when the doors opened and Captain Oteng walked into the room, everyone fell silent and stood at attention. Years of Starfleet experience taught all the officers to give the proper respect to the commanding officer when he walked in.
“Keep your seats, everyone. Thank you for being here…” Fabien said as he walked toward the head of the table. Everyone else sat down right as he arrived at the head of the table and sat down himself. “My name is Captain Fabien Oteng” he began in his rich Rwandan accent. “I’m very happy to be here today. Starting from the right, please say your name and position. You may say your rank if you so desire.”
“Brooklyn Abramov, First Officer.”
“Leo Spencer, Tactical Officer and your Chief of Security.”
“Siobhan Pearse, your Chief of Operations.”
“Eloísa Aranda, Chief Engineer.”
“Dr. Kadin Rehman; though you may call me Dr. Rehman or Kadin…I’m the Chief Medical Officer.”
“Thank you everyone. Normally, introductions and staff meetings would be done onboard ship, but Starbase Ops has said that the Los Angeles will not be ready until later this evening. Commander Abramov, I would like to get underway tomorrow by 1000 hours, please ensure that we’re ready then.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Additionally, I would like to conduct the formal command possession ceremony tomorrow at 0800 on the bridge of the Los Angeles.”
“I’ll speak with Starbase Operations. We’ve spent quite a time here at Starbase 86, and we’re ready and raring to go.”
Murmurs of assent and agreement ripple out.
“Alright everyone. I’m pleased that we’re all here, and I’m excited to work with you. Commander, I’d like you to stay; I’d like to brief you on the mission. Everyone else, thank you for coming. Dismissed.”
The senior officers stood up and began filing out, though Brooke stayed seated, looking out toward the ships in spacedock.
“Well, Brooklyn, thank you for staying.” Fabien turned toward his First Officer, and smiled kindly. “Looks like we’re stuck with each other. I wanted to brief you about our mission this patrol.”
Brooke’s attention turned back to her commanding officer. “We have a mission this patrol?” Their expression commanded surprise, as they had understood that this first cruise was just a shakeout.
“Yes, I’m afraid we do. The situation in the Triangle is getting more untenable by the month, and Starfleet wants as many ships of the line to be on patrol.” He handed them a PADD, with the relevant intelligence reports. Then, he continued. “Granted, Starfleet is giving us discretion on how we proceed during this first mission. The Los Angeles is untested and her crew is realtively new; I don’t want to run the gauntlet if we don’t have to.”
Brooke nodded in agreement. “I agree sir. Caution is heavily warranted.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Well, Captain, I believe we should limit our patrol to the areas outside the Triangle. We can run interdiction and ensure that smugglers don’t bring in weapons and other contraband.”
“I agree wholeheartedly, Commander. Let’s meet on the bridge of the Los Angeles at 0730 hours tomorrow. That way we can get ready to get the blazes out of spacedock.”
“Aye sir. I’ll inform the crew.”
“Thank you Brooke.” He extended his hand to them. “It will be a pleasure to serve with you.”
They took his hand and shook it. “Aye sir, the pleasure is all mine.”
Brooke stood at attention and then left the room, leaving Captain Oteng to contemplate his new command through the window.

0800 Hours: Bridge, USS Los Angeles

Captain Oteng sat in the center chair, with Commander Abramov next to him to his right; both were facing the viewscreen. The other officers were at their posts, all of them engaged in preparing to have the ship depart spacedock. Captain Oteng then stood up, and sounded the boatswain whistle, signifying a shipwide announcement. Everyone on the bridge looked up from their posts and they saw that both Captain Oteng and Commander Abramov were in the center, with Lt. Commander Pearse and Lt. Muthoni sat in front, at Ops and Helm. These two officers stood up, and turned to face the two senior officers. Everyone stood at attention, and the Chief of Operations, Siobhan, walked up to Captain Oteng and started the command possession ceremony.
“Captain Oteng, what is your business on the USS Los Angeles?”
“On orders of Starfleet Command, I have arrived to take command of the USS Los Angeles, with orders signed by Admiral T’elani, Deputy Chief of Starfleet Operations.” He hands her the PADD, containing the official orders.
“Orders are legitimate and verified with Admiral’s verification code. Captain, place your hand on the biometric access panel.”
He does so, and the computer trills and beeps.
“Captain Oteng, you and your command have been verified. The USS Los Angeles is yours, sir, by order of Starfleet Command. on stardate 77602.0. It is so noted in the Ship’s log, sir.”
“Thank you Ms. Pearse. I wish to introduce my first officer as a command officer.”
“By all means, sir. Commander Abramov, if you would place your hand on the biometric panel?”
Brooke walks up to the panel and places her hand on it.
“Commander Brooklyn Abramov has been verified as the Los Angeles’ first officer on stardate 77602.0.”
“Thank you, Lt. Commander.” Brooke steps away from the panel.
“Ms. Pearse, I wish to introduce you as the Los Angeles’ second officer.”
“Aye sir.” She places her hand on the biometric panel.
“Lieutenant Commander Siobhan Pearse has been verified as the Los Angeles’ second officer on stardate 77602.0. Captain, all command officers of the Los Angeles have been registered and approved. Congratulations, sir.”
“Thank you, Ms. Pearse. All hands, please prepare for departure and resume stations. I would like to get out of here in a timely fashion.”
A chorus of “Aye, sir!” and “Yes, sir!” rings out. Fabien turns back to his center chair and begins customizing the layout of the consoles to fit his needs.

0955 Hours: Bridge, USS Los Angeles

The ship is abuzz with activity. The bridge is fully staffed, everyone on station, and the Captain and First Officer are at their places in the center. Fabien looks at Brooke, and with a nod, they indicate the ship is ready to leave spacedock for the first time.
“Brooklyn, it’s been a lovely morning. Are we ready to go?”
“Well Captain, our food stores and replicators are fully charged and ready, our supplies are all checked out, Eloísa reported to me that all systems are nominal and ready for departure. In short sir, we’re ship-shape and Bristol fashion.”
“Very good. Leo, contact Starbase departure, inform them that the USS Los Angeles is ready for departure. Eloísa, please do us the honors of turning on the ship.”
“Aye sir, initializing dilithium reaction into the warp core. Systems coming online…the Los Angeles is awake, sir!”
“Aye sir, contacting Starbase departure control.” He taps and speaks with control, while the other stations prepare for departure.
“Attention, bridge officers! Sound off, go/no-go for departure. Starting with ops.”
“Ops is go, sir.”
“Helms is go, sir.”
“Tactical and security is go, sir.”
“Engineering is go.”
“All departments report go, we are good to go.”
“Thank you Brooklyn. Leo, what’s the word from control?”
“Sir, they’re reporting that there’s a small fleet coming back from the triangle. There may be delays in departing spacedock.”
“Just make sure you keep me in the loop. Hopefully, delay is not too significant. In the meantime, let’s prepare to get underway. Brooke?”
“I agree.” She presses a few buttons on her armchair, sounding the boatswain’s whistle that usually preceded a ship-wide announcement.
“Attention all hands. This is Captain Fabien Oteng. Prepare for spacedock departure.”
“Channel closed, sir.”
“Thank you. Go to blue alert, secure all airlocks, and cast off mooring beams.”
The bridge lights are dimmed and everyone is bathed in the blue glow of the alert.
“Captain, airlocks read sealed and mooring beams are secured. We’re ready for departure, soon as we’re given clearance.”
“Great, thank you.”
“Captain, we have clearance from departure control.”
“Great! Miss Muthoni, please take us out, maneuvering thrusters only. Slow and steady, Lieutenant.”
“Aye sir, pulling ahead, thrusters only.”
The ship slowly began moving out of its docking bay under its own power for the first time in years. She looked brand new, inside and out, and more than a few people in the Starbase turned to look at the Los Angeles depart. She looked graceful, fully illuminated, with her nacelles all lit up in preparation for her first warp test.

Soon after the Los Angeles cleared the doors, she turned slightly, toward the area known as the triangle. She hadn’t left the area completely yet, but she was in space, and her systems were all operational. Finally, the news Fabien had been waiting for arrived.
“Captain, we’re clear of the Starbase area; we are clear to go to warp at your command.”
“Very good, Lieutenant. Set course for the Triangle, warp 4.”
“Warp 4, aye sir.

The Los Angeles turned, then glowed, and jumped to warp, disappearing into the stars on her first mission for Starfleet.