Part of USS Rubidoux: Mission 1: Shaking the dust off & patching up hurt

Tib’s Law# 10 Share what you learn with others

Bridge, USS Rubidoux
May, 1, 2401
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Captain’s Log, Stardate 76051.72. 

We are currently patrolling the Triangle after completing repairs and receiving our crew replacements. We are now headed to rendezvous with a stranded D’Ghor warship broadcasting a distress beacon. The crew is anxious facing the D’Ghor with recent wounds so fresh in everyone’s memory. Everyone’s eager to get to work, but I’m sure they weren’t expecting this kind of mission. Still. We’re Starfleet, and helping is what we do. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

He tapped the stop record button on the desktop terminal and leaned back in his chair pensively. Stars streaked by the window in his ready room. If he didn’t know how fast they were going (which he did), he’d guess based on the stretch of the stars as they streaked by at FTL speeds they were probably going warp 8. Admitting that he had his own reservations about the mission aloud to the crew wouldn’t be prudent, but in private? He questioned it briefly. But if he were lost in the black and needed help, he hoped there was someone out there who’d come help him too, even if it was in their best interests not to. Some would call it weakness. Others foolishness. Some might call for him to exploit the situation to his advantage. But that wasn’t the mission.

The mission? Somewhere out there, a Hunter of D’Ghor warship was in distress and needed help. Details were scarce, but there was an implied medical emergency. A sickness or plague of some type. Klingons were typically pretty hardy, so if it was dragging them down, it was sure to cause problems for his crew. The smart and cold calculus of war would dictate he let them wither and die. But his old man didn’t raise him that way. And he knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did. It always came back to the same question. What if the shoe was flipped, and it was he and his crew who needed help.

Tib tended to think of everyone sharing space as all one peoples. Anyone traversing the stars all answered to the stars first. Any number of things could happen out here. And when the universe came knocking with your number, it left you at the mercy of others. Sometimes, that goes against someone’s better nature. But the universe always keeps a tally. And besides, it made him feel good to help. After Frontier day’s recent disaster, he needed that feeling back more than ever. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up from his chair and stepped into the bridge.

There were unfortunately more new faces than usual that turned back to look at him when he came in. The Rubi was always a transitional ship. But the events of the past few weeks have cost the fleet much. The effects of which were felt even here on his ship this far away from Earth. Normally he’d be more comfortable going in with an escort, but right now everyone is a bit of a mess. So he’s expecting this to be an unsupported venture. They’re all those klingons have. He just hoped they had sense not to bite the hand that feeds or in this case, heals.“Status Ms. Thorne?”Lt.Jg. Eliara Thorne tapped her console a few times and then glanced back from her station. “We’re on course for the distress beacon, but long range sensors are detecting something interesting.”Tiberious’ brow arched curiously as he strode around and sat in the captain’s chair. “What kind of interesting. That can either be good or bad.”Thorne glanced to the science officer on watch. “It’s a world. Sir. Uninhabited.” Lt. Vossk replied. Zephyr Vossk was his Saurian science officer.

“Charted?”

“On a basic level. Location only. Further details were deemed to be conducted later.”

Tiberious frowned. They technically counted as later, and it was Task Force 86’s mission to keep an eye on the triangle. On the other hand, urgency was key. They had lives depending on them. He pursed his lips weighing over the pros and cons. “Take us out of warp, and proceed at full impulse. Hold station long enough to run a full sensor sweep. Give the labcoats something to poke at, then we hit the road again.”

“Road, sir?” Thorne asked, turning to face him again.

“Figure of speech Lieutenant. Don’t worry, you’ll catch on eventually.”

“Aye sir, dropping out of warp.”

The Rubidoux’s warp bubble collapse in a controlled fashion, depositing the ship in real space time at the edge of a dusty system and a single K class star, an asteroid belt, and a single planet. The detour was going to be faster than he thought. As Vossk ran his scans, Tib went over the duty roster report. He handed it back to Commander Lorena Kael when he was finished.

“Make sure medical gets with engineering about setting up triage points. We don’t know what we’re stumbling into but I’d like to be ready incase we have to bring sick and wounded over for treatment.”

“Sir, that would expose the Rubidoux to unnecessary risk.” He nodded. “You’re right. It would. So does this mission. We do what we can to minimize risk, but we can never be truly free of it. Besides, it’s just a precaution. Better to have and not need.”

Commander Kael nodded, typing out a message to the doctor down decks. Tib was about to go for a walk when Vossk’s voice cut him short. “Sir?”

“Go ahead Lt.”

“I’m getting a large number of unusual energy readings on the surface of the planet.”

“Signs of life?”

Vossk’s head canted at an odd angle as the blue scaled Saurian pondered the readings. “Inconclusive. But they are not natural, that much I can confirm. I would need a closer analysis.”

Tib frowned. They were on a time table, but this needed looking at. “How long do you need?”

“How long do I have?”

“Depends on how fast you can get down and back.”

Vossk blinked his large eyes several times thoughtfully. “I’m not detecting anything that would prevent normal transporter functions. Thirty minutes.”

“Alright fine. You’ve got thirty minutes. And then I want you and your team back. If you’re a second late, you’re gonna have to show some leg to the next ship that passes by.”

“I beg your pardon sir? What good would showing my leg do?”

“It’s a-…you know what? Nevermind.”

Lt. Vossk shrugged and rose from his station and left the bridge. “Lt. Thorne. Set us up in position to continue running scans. Grab everything you can. May as well make use of the time and shake the dust off the sensor grid.”

“Aye sir. Holding station. Running several full scans.”

Cmdr. Kael folded her arms thoughtfully. “Well, at least the sensor resolution will be better with us in stationary orbit. Flyby’s always red shift the data.”

“That’s the spirit Kael.”

“Sir, may I speak with you in the ready room?”Tib shrugged, “Looks like we got time. Let’s go.”

The pair rose, “Lt. Thorne, you have the Conn.” Then Tib and Kael strode into his office. Kael insisted on standing, where Tib took up a seat on the front edge of his desk. He gestured for her to begin. She stood tall before him at six feet one inch tall. Straight black hair she kept at neck length and pulled back. She was an Erynian, and sported a unique pattern of markings on her skin that reminded him of something between the spots trill bore, and camouflage patterning. Except these changed colors based on her mood. Her record indicated they were how her people used to communicate in the past when verbal communication would put them at risk of predation. Right now it strobed through several blue tones, but he wasn’t sure what that meant. He made a mental note to bring that up later when she felt more comfortable.

“Go on. What’s on your mind.”

“I request this be an informal discussion sir.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Ok, but if it’s going to be informal, you’ll need to ditch the Sir.”

Kael grimaced and nodded. “Understood, si-.” She paused and tried for a polite smile to shield some embarrassment. “With respect Captain, I’ve been wondering why you’re still here? The Rubidoux is typically a transitory posting. Yet you’ve been the CO for several years. Why?”

Tib shrugged. “Didn’t realize this was going to be an investigation into my record.”

“Please. Don’t avoid the question.”

“Ok, Fair enough. Short answer? Tib’s Law# 10. Share everything you learn with others – knowledge is like pollen, and spreading it fascinates growth for all. Long answer? I’ve stayed with the Rubidoux for so long because you guys deserve a leader that cares. Not someone who’s only here to check a box. Believe it or not there’s a lot to be learned. Even in the menial missions. You won’t see us making news, or meeting the president of the federation. But we are the foundation that holds the federation up. If we crumble, it crumbles. This is your last chance to soak up information and training before it becomes real.”

“Real? This is real as well, is it not?”

“True. But the stakes are a little lower most of the time. You aren’t going to run into any transcosmological omnipotent beings, or life altering astrological events. This is grunt work. And many half ass their way through it. But I don’t want to see that from you.”

“You won’t.”

“Good. Because when we walk back out that door. You’re taking my chair.”

“Sir?”

“Like I said. This is your last stop to get your legs under you before Starfleet and the universe throws you into the deep end. The more practice you have? The better prepared you’ll be to overcome those first time jitters when they hit.”Kael’s brows furrowed. She’d expected something different. That much was plain. Maybe she’d thought he was too comfortable or unambitious or something. He didn’t know yet, but was certain that particular nugget would bare itself out. Finally Kael glanced up and nodded. “Ok. That was all I needed.”

“Alright then. Doors always open in case you’ve got something you need to voice. I don’t mind dissenting opinions. Frankly I’ve found they’re necessary. Helps us make sure we aren’t making biased choices. But on that same token, I’ll need you to be ok with the decisions I make after hearing you out. As long as they are within the color of the law. Disagreement is fine, but gross insubordination isn’t. I trust you’ll be able to make the distinction.”

“Of course. Thank you. Sir.”

Tib gave the commander a friendly smile and the two left his office. They rounded back to the command chairs and he offered her the captains chair. She settled down into it slowly, taking it in. He dropped down into the XO’s chair. “Feels different doesn’t it?”

Kael nodded slowly, tracing her hands along the length of the arm rests. This time her patterns faded to a teal greenish blue. Tib smirked at the silently stunned reverie. He’d seen that look a few times now on different faces but it usually always carried the same themes. The promise of future potential waiting to be let loose. Given time and nurturing they would carry on the future of the fleet. Just as he did for those before him.

“Now what?” Kael asked.

“We wait.” He grinned. “It’s the worst part of the gig. Frankly? I miss being a young buck ensign that got to actually do everything. Now? I have to sit around while you guys have all the fun.”

“Fun? Is that what you call it?” Kael asked, the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

“Yup!” He said and reclined into the chair. So. She’s got a sense of humor after all. Good. He could work with that.

 

Comments

  • And lets catch up on the wonderful story of the Rubidoux! I got to say, the cool-headed responses and personality of Tib (I like the shorten name ;) ) is really nice rub off while reading. It feels like reading a seasoned Captain that loves his crew and ship with a great own vision of how command of Starfleet should be. I love that he tries to quote everything and the crew simply don't get it. Keep it up!

    October 6, 2023