Getting the crew back together

Posted on 15 Apr 2018 @ 10:29am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Luke Wyatt

1,986 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Rigel II - Avondale Production Facility Administrative Complex
Timeline: MD 100, 1413 hrs

[ON]

Luke freshly showered and freshly relocated to his new quarters, at least new ones until they boarded the ship now found himself waiting anxiously stepping into the administration complex of Avondale Shipyard. He knew not of the person who was waiting for him on the other side of the door he now stood in front of feeling unnaturally nervous. He had told himself he had fought the Borg, Jem'Hadar, Klingons and Cardassians yet still reporting for a new duty was the most daunting of challenges.

Inside the busy office ward, personnel buzzed about in all various types of uniforms. Many of them were administrative officers who wore the traditional red-collared jumpsuits that were standard dress for the fleet, but others wore white and grey garbs accented in yellow to signify their status as engineers and dockworkers.

The ward where Galileo's newest captain was located, fortunately, was one of the lesser-busy locations within the facility. Only two people were currently seated in the small waiting room which signified a lull in the post-lunch hour.

When Wyatt had entered the room, a junior yeoman had approached and checked him in, then took him down the private corridor which contained the office module. After pressing the chime to signal the man's arrival, the door swished open.

Luke entered the room his eyes widening and his lips pulling into a grin. Had he expected such a surprise he probably wouldn't have been so nervous. "Captain" He said in a half pleased half surprised voice.

Inside the room sat a very attractive green Orion who was situated behind the desk in a plush chair. Her dark black hair was cut short down to shoulder-length, and flowed freely across her cheeks. "Hello, Mister Wyatt," she greeted.

The door closed behind him and for a moment Luke felt trapped, the woman in front of him was the same yet she seemed so different. Luke wanted to walk up to her and hug her, he wasn’t sure why but he felt the impulse but learnt quickly to suppress it. “Captain” he repeated and quickly added “I’m reporting for duty, as ordered ma’am”

"Not yet you aren't," she replied with a sideways smirk. Why did it always seem that the Security officers were the ones to always jump straight in, she mused. "Have a seat. It's good to see you again. Hopefully you can tell me why you applied for this new assignment?" she asked, wanting to jump straight into the interview.

Luke thought about the question for a moment as he took his seat. "It seemed right" He finally said "I need to get back out there doing things and this assignment was the right path for me to take"

"I see. Tell me about that, Luke. What does that mean for you...to 'get back out there doing things'?" she followed up, trying to get a better sense of his motivation and the reason for wanting a posting at the very furthest reaches of known space.

"I'm a Marine originally, a fighter but serving with you and the original crew of the Galileo I've grown to realize that there is more to life than fighting than being better than the enemy. I'm an explorer, and I want to be apart of a crew who is out finding new life and new civilizations. If some of them turn out to be hostile then I will be the one to defend this crew along with me department of course." Luke explained.

"There are many assignments available for someone with as many years of service in the fleet as you," she couldn't help but remark. "Surely you can find exploration aboard other vessels too, not just Galileo?" She wasn't the only ship of adventure traversing the cosmos.

He shrugged "I like the name" Luke had many reasons, but honestly "Galileo is home," He said finishing his sentence out loud. "Seeing her destroyed I felt like a part of me was missing, this assignment just seemed like the right one."

Saalm listened to him speak and subconsciously sighed with latent sorrow at the mention of Galileo's destruction. Not a day had gone by since that event that she hadn't thought about it, and she knew it would stay with her forever. She couldn't fault Luke for potentially feeling the same way and wanting to reunite with their old crew.

"She was home for me as well," the captain admitted. "And it is a blessing Starfleet has rebuilt her," she added with an optimistic twinkle in her eyes.

Luke had heard the news that Starfleet was going to be commissioning a new Galileo but one question had yet been answered. “And what class ship would that?” He asked curiously the question was on everyone’s lips.

"A very capable one," Saalm lightly laughed. "The Design Bureau's been working on it for several years and Galileo-A is the class' flagship. Details can be given after assignment." She quickly adjusted herself in her seat and crossed her legs. "She will look different and have a new crew, but I hope she will have the same soul."

"So you're not going to tell me huh?" He chuckled lightly "I'm sure it will be, perhaps even better. How many familiar faces should I expect?" He questioned. Galileo-A Luke liked the ring off it.

"The crew compliment is sixty, most of them Human of course," she winked at him. Starfleet vessels were typically very diverse but the majority of crews still represented the demographics of the founding Federation worlds. "I'm sure you will know a few of them from our last assignment."

He nodded as she spoke soaking up her words. "Well new crew, old crew im glad to have you back Captain, I look forward to our next assignment. Sitting on Earth and at the academy has been driving me nuts!"Luke explained.

"Ha!" the Orion blurted out with a light laugh and a knowing smile. "I admit, when I was working at the rehab facility on Earth assembling isolinear optical chips, at least I was busy. Too much time away from it all can be...disorienting, to say the least." The captain then looked down at her PADD and couldn't help but broach the next topic candidly. "What about your daughter, Luke? I see she's applied for assignment, too. Is that...something you want? After all that's happened?"

Thinking about the question for a moment. "Abbey has tried very hard over the past few months. She's attended academy classes and studied. Who am I to deny her the choice to serve aboard the Galileo-A It's home to her as much as it is to any of us" Luke explained thoughtfully.

The captain touched a thoughtful green finger to her chin. It was true for many of her former crew -- and many Fleet personnel -- that they often viewed their starship as a home away from home. Or for some, simply home. "If you have no objections then neither do I," she decided.

He shook his head "You'll hear no objections from me and like I said she's really started to take to this universe. I kind sort of see myself inside of her as messed up as it sounds" Luke said with a chuckle. "Are there any surprises I could be made aware off before we leave?" He asked curiously.

It was good to hear the young woman was acclimating to the new world around her. The last she remembered of the ensign, she'd been defiant in the brig aboard the Romulan vessel and didn't seem like she wanted to be anywhere near Starfleet's rules and regulations. Perhaps it had been a stress reaction, however, and the captain was usually willing to give her crew members the benefit of the doubt if they were upfront and honest with her. Her thoughts then turned to the mention of surprises. "Yes, many surprises. But none that you have clearance for," she smiled with a small dose of blunt honesty. "We will be going out on special assignment to explore the unknown. So for now, the details of this deployment are classified until we're well underway."

He sighed shaking his head in half mock annoyance “You know it’s really hard for me to be chief of security when I’m not allowed to know anything, one day you’re going to have to let me in and tell me something’s so I can properly prepare my department for what is to come” he said “but I’ll save you the time and know this time is not that time” Luke finished chuckling.

"I know. It can be hard, sometimes," she sympathized. "Even us captains are left in the dark many times. Sometimes for reasons we don't understand but more often because Command deems information to be 'sensitive'." She shrugged at the situation which she'd come to accept as part of life in Starfleet. "Speaking of your department," she transitioned to another line of thought, "I'm doing my best to get you fully-staffed but there are still vacancies for two Security personnel."

He nodded "I am aware of Mr. Soderstrom, however, the second name seems to elude me" Luke explained unsure who she was referring to r perhaps it was a name he had yet to see.

"That's the problem. There was no second person. I'd hoped more personnel from your department would submit applications for interviews, but so far..." her voice trailed off as she tilted her head in a knowing manner. He seemed to at least have some knowledge of who'd already applied to the ranks of the new Galileo. "For now, we'll have to make due. And there are still several days left before departure."

"Getting security personnel for a science vessel is never easy, even for a ship as prestigious as the Galileo, maybe we can train some members from each department. So if the need arises for combat we'll be able to do the job." Luke proposed.

"Yes, an excellent idea," she agreed. In fact, she was about to ask him about the possibility but his veteran experience seemed to be one step ahead of her. "I'd also like your department to be fully qualified in emergency damage control operations. The Engineering and Operations departments are both small as well...any help your people can provide during emergencies will be important."

He nodded in agreement "I'll see to it. Is there anything else? It seems my department has a lot of work to do, I may even take a refresher in emergency damage myself" Luke joked the idea of him tinkering with anything other than a weapon was funny.

The captain thought briefly about any pending items on her agenda that might require his input, then with a confident shake of her head, she replied, "No, that's all I have. For now." She retrieved a small, gold-trimmed access card from the bottom drawer of her desk then activated it using her small tabletop LCARS terminal. "You'll need this," she added, holding out the keycard. "It will give you access to all non-sensitive areas on the starship while we're still docked in port. Welcome aboard Galileo-A, lieutenant commander."

Taking the key from the Orions hand he smiled “Thank you captain, it’s good to have you back” Luke came to attention and bowed his head in a polite nod. “See you soon” He said before turning and leaving the green skinned captain behind him.

She watched him depart with quickness and now sat there by herself once again with a mountain of PADDs and administrative work in front of her. "...Dismissed, I guess?"

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Commander Luke Wyatt
Chief of Security
USS Galileo-A

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