Waypoint

Posted on 31 Mar 2012 @ 3:52pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm

577 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: Starbase 234, Docking Port 12
Timeline: MD 02 - 0945 hrs

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With a flash of white light and a streaking blur, the Galileo exited warp and suddenly appeared in the darkness of space. Her impulse engines swiftly engaged and thrust the small ship through the the stars on her way to her resupply destination. Starship traffic had been relatively light in the sector over the past few hours. Only a lone Sovereign Class and her Akira Class escort were visible on short-range sensors, and even the civilian transports had seemed to take the day off. As the Galileo flew through space, a lone space station finally came into view amongst the cosmos. Shaped like a giant mushroom with sparkling blue and white lighting dotting the hull, it was a sight to behold.

Starbase 234 was the Federation's primary Beta Quadrant repair and resupply facility. An older Stardock Class station, she was immense in size, home to over one-hundred thousand personnel and capable of housing up to a hundred docked starships simultaneously. Situated near the Romulan and Klingon Neutral Zones, the starbase had been constructed in early 2320 with the intention of expanding the Federation's influence throughout the neighboring Empires and sectors. The station had played a pivotal role in the Klingon Civil War of 2367, and had been the staging area for the Federation blockade which successfully prevented the Romulan Empire from covertly supplying the House of Duras with weapons and technology.

With the destruction of Romulus nearly twenty years later, the starbase had now become a military waypoint of sorts, used as a staging area to launch numerous border patrols and reconnaissance missions along the now-shattered Romulan Empire's Neutral Zone. Starbase 234 was also the last Starfleet outpost for any ship traveling to the outer sectors of Federation space, which now included the Galileo.

As the survey vessel approach the station, she slowed to one-quarter impulse and delicately maneuvered around a departing convoy of Miranda Class transports who were bound for Regulus. Once in the clear, she approached the station's upper section as a gigantic pair of docking doors slowly parted for the little ship - A welcoming invitation into the bowels of the starbase.

When the Galileo finally came within range of the base's automated landing system, she cut her engines and surrendered control to the dock master, allowing a set of large tractor beams to lock on to her and slowly pull her inside. As she passed through the large bay doors, she was redirected to her designated docking port. The short journey took her around the starbase's enormous circular interior and past thirty other docked starships. Spotlights from the control towers shined brightly against the Galileo's metallic skin, following her every move, while a small flight of workbees and shuttlepods took up an escort position above and behind her as they followed her in preparation to conduct a routine hull inspection.

Finally arriving at Docking Port 12, the ship listed slowly to the left as she came about and backed into her designated alcove. She came to a stop and the support umbilicals extended and latched on to her, providing external power to the ship as well as access for all personnel. Fifteen minutes after soft dock and the Galileo powered down her primary systems, her blue warp nacelles fading to black as they went into standby mode. She had completed her first journey, and now prepared to resupply and rearm for the upcoming mission.

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