Shakedown
Posted on Fri Oct 20th, 2023 @ 5:11pm by Captain James Phoenix & Commander Ashlynn Regan & Commander Sernia Logan & Lieutenant Commander Devin Hadenbeer & Lieutenant Commander T'Raen & Lieutenant Jin-soo Tae & Lieutenant Dezra Laux & Master Chief Petty Officer Evelyn Bailey
3,269 words; about a 16 minute read
Mission:
Untested
Location: USS Horizon
Timeline: Current
ON:
[Main Engineering]
In the time since he returned, everything had been all hands on deck to meet the launch deadline for the Horizon to go on her shakedown cruise. During that time, James had received a mostly new senior staff except for one or two. He also got a new XO and Chief Medical Officer who had both been called away last second indefinitely, leaving both positions wide open. However even with a decent amount of senior positions filled, the Horizon was still below her standard crew complement. Luckily, with the technology and automation of the Horizon, they would be just fine.
The Horizon had received performance enhancing upgrades making her better than ever, at least on paper. Other Century class ships had also received these upgrades, but the Horizon was a ship by herself, and so the shakedown would hopefully allow the crew to dial everything in and work out the kinks of the new upgrades. Ideally without issue too.
Captain Phoenix had spent the day up to the launch making rounds around the ship to ensure that all of the department's were all prepared for launch. Most of them had last minute things to do, but for the most part they were. His last place to visit was Main Engineering to get an update from Commander Sorenson. He entered the room and looked around for the Chief Engineer.
Not seeing the CHENG he looked around some more before he noticed a Lieutenant approach him.
"Can I help you sir?" the Till Lieutenant asked.
He turned around to recognize the Lieutenant as Dezra Laux, one of the few crewmembers that were still on the Horizon. "Actually yes Lieutenant. Have you seen Commander Sorenson?"
"Not yet today sir. I've actually been running things down here" she replied.
"Understood. In that case, do you have an engineering status update?"
"Yes sir" she handed the Captain a PADD. "The engines are ready for anything and so is the slipstream drive. Impulse engines and thrusters are also ready for our departure later today. Just give the command upstairs sir once we are ready to depart and she'll fly" Dezra said with optimism.
James smiled. "That she will Lieutenant. Thank you for stepping up" he trailed off for a second. "I'll let you get back to your duties Lieutenant."
"Thank you sir" the Lieutenant said in return before returning to her engineering duties.
After the engineer's response a call came in over the comm from the bridge. “Bridge to Phoenix, you have an incoming message from Admiral Clancy’s office, text only.”
“Understood, patch it through down here. Phoenix out”
James moved over to a console and he changed to an annoyed demeanor and sighed after he read it. “Shit…” he cursed at a normal voice.
[Shuttle Bay One]
The crewmen stared at the items stored in the back of the runabout.
"Is that.." one began.
"A piano, yes," lt. Commander Devin Hadenbeer replied, "An upright, to be precise. Crafted on Vulcan, it is a family heirloom, it has been in my family for a hundred years."
She approached the closest crewman and murmured, "I am aware of every scratch, every dent, every mar and discoloration. If it earns a new one on its way to my quarters I will find it. Do we understand one another, crewman?"
"Yessir," he replied soberly.
Something approaching a smile crossed Devin's face, it almost hurt, "Excellent!" as she departed the bay she called out, "Don't forget the bench!"
[Bridge]
Commander Regan entered the bridge without delay and went forth to the main science station and logged herself in and pulled up her go to configuration. There were already a few people there, but the rest would be arriving on the bridge soon.
Commander Logan sat in the captains chair awaiting him to come up to the bridge. Realizing something was really off. The vessel indeed have a small amount of crew on board. Although with the XO gone, it kinda feels weird to her. Although, she is the next person in line. But isn't expected to be the new first officer.
A large, pink bubble appeared before the officer who sat behind the conn station. It held for a brief moment before popping into nothingness. Jin-soo had spent gamma shift familiarising herself with the controls of the Horizon. They were no different from the Intrepid-class she flew during her last posting, maybe a few adjustments here and there but nothing significant to warrant serious study time. A shakedown cruise was sorely missed, not to mention the fact that she was growing restless each day spent in drydock.
Commander Logan saw the other officer and didn't really say much. She walked up and said. "Hello I am Commander Serina Logan. Currently Second in command and Chief of Security and Tactical Officer. Might I ask who you are?" Commander Logan asked.
"Lieutenant Tae," She replied without looking up from her console, seemingly busy with configurations. "Didn't know the XO filled a double role, we must be seriously understaffed..."
"That we are Lieutenant. Kinda wished we weren't. But you know how it works when we don't have a full staff." She said.
A short 'hm' was all Jin-soo gave in response, her attention seemingly absorded by the console in front of her.
Shortly after that, Master Chief Petty Officer Evelyn Bailey, the Horizon's Chief of Boat stepped onto the bridge. She didn't really have anything to do on the bridge, but the Captain often would rely on the COB for insight and she figured that he'd need that. Or at least an update from the senior-most enlisted crew member on how the other enlisted personnel were doing. Seeing as the Captain wasn't there yet, she stood quietly at the back of the bridge at parade rest.
The turbolift doors swooshed open...and Devin felt something akin to panic. This was it, her new life...such as it was. Well, it could have been worse. Much worse, really. She could have been still in prison. She could be teaching music on Earth. She could be living in that cottage on her brother's estate, feeling sorry for herself.
Straightening her uniform...the cut of which she was still getting used to, she stepped onto the bridge...
The steady progression of new officers arriving on the bridge continued as the turbolift doors wooshed open and a Vulcan woman clad in a pristine blue-shouldered uniform stepped out. Appraising the bridge momentarily, she turned stiffly and walked over to the main science station. Coming to attention, she announced, "Lieutenant Commander T'Raen here to relieve you, sir."
Ash raised an eyebrow, as she hadn’t been consulted about being relieved. But she knew who could tell her more. Hopefully he didn’t withhold it from her. James told her anything that wasn’t classified, so she trusted him.
“At ease Commander T’Raen, I stand relieved?” She said in a confused tone. Good luck with your new position” she said before leaving in a hurry to find James.
"Thank you, sir," the Vulcan responded before stepping aside to allow the senior officer the space to move on to wherever she pleased. T'Raen assumed the Commander would be heading down to her dedicated R&D Lab, for which the Vulcan was given little oversight of. Taking a seat in the chair, the new Chief Science Officer quickly got to work configuring the console's layout to her personal preferences.
Devin was half way to the captain's seat before she realized what her feet were doing. Grimacing, she dearly hoped no one noticed and made for the Operations console.
Everyone short of the helmsman was seated behind her. She hated it. It was like everyone's eyes would be boring into the back of her head. She unconsciously touched the loose bun and wondered if she should have worn her hair down.
The ensign at the console looked up anxiously at her.
"Anything I should be worried about, ensign?" Devin inquired mildly, focusing on the young officer and not the station.
"No, sir!" the ensign replied, "Power systems within nominal tolerances for Horizon at rest."
"You could have ended at 'no, sir'," Devin noted as she motioned for him to vacate the seat. The ensign quickly did. Devin slid into the chair and grimaced; it was uncomfortably warm...
'Curious,' T'Raen thought as she took note of the Ops Chief's behavior. While unable to see the woman's face, her posture and body language spoke volumes, as did the young Ensign's, as the Commander seemingly passed her apparent anxiousness on to the junior officer before waving him off and taking her place in the seat. After taking note of the woman's momentary stiffness upon sitting, things seemed to resume as expected, turning T'Raen's attention back to the console in front of her.
[Corridor]
James had left engineering and made his way to the bridge after he got his reports and after he got the news of Ash’s sudden transfer. It wasn’t the assignment that that pissed him off, it fact, it was quite the prestigious one. What upset him was how sudden the transfer was. The day of launch. At least Ash had a relief. Of course, he was also upset because it was his significant other that was leaving the ship, but he couldn’t let it get to him. He needed to find and tell her, but he had a feeling that she found out. He had hoped that it was how he did -a message from Starfleet- but he’d find out that she found out the hard way. He got his answer mere minutes later when he saw the science officer, his significant other, walking through the corridor, looking quite upset, and more of the angry kind.
Ash looked around to make sure there was no crew around before centering on James. “What the hell James? Please tell me you didn’t know” she slowed stopped walking dead in front of him.
“I only just found out. I was on my way tell you in case you didn’t” he could see the anger and sadness in her eyes.
Ash continued. “I found out the hard way. New Chief Science Officer relieved me on the bridge and I don’t even know where I’m going” her voice began to raise.
“I’m sorry” he said. The whole situation was out of his control and yet he felt terrible about it.
She sighed. “It isn’t your fault James” she looked around before looking back at James. “Where am I going anyway.”
“Some might consider this a prestigious assignment, even if it’s not in space. You have been transferred to Starfleet Command in the RnD department.”
“Head Researcher?”
James smiled. “No. More like the Head of Starfleet Research and Development.”
“You’re kidding?” she asked more so rhetorically. “Surely Starfleet wouldn’t put a Commander in that position?”
“They did. Also I probably should say that they didn’t specify if it was temporary.”
“If it’s temporary why send a relief and fully relief me?”
“I’m going to be honest, they could be preparing you for a promotion.”
“That is possible. I have passed up any other promotion and command offers since being promoted to Commander.”
The two fell silent before James spoke to her again. “Since we are departing soon, I took the liberty of asking the ops department to get your stuff together. It should be there soon. I do have a little more time, want me to walk you down to the shuttlebay?”
“I’d like that. Thanks” she said before the two began walking to the shuttlebay.
[Bridge]
After taking Ash to the shuttlebay, he found himself walking to the bridge. Minutes away from the launch, in an attempt to distract himself, he reflected on the Horizon’s readiness for launch. The ship had a little over half her complement. But her upgrades were ready on time and he was damn proud of his crew. He also knew that he had a new ops chief and a science chief to take over for Ash. This meant that most senior positions had been filled. All that would happen now was the test of the shakedown cruise.
Soon enough the Captain arrived on the bridge. The turbolift doors slid open and James stepped out.
No sooner did the computer recognize the Captain's signature entering the bridge did the sound of the Boatswain's Call blare across the bridge.
As soon as she saw him, Master Chief Bailey yelled out and stood at attention. “Captain on the bridge!”
Standing upon the cry of the whistle, T'Raen was already moving to the position of attention just to the right of her chair, having turned her body to square with the Captain's Chair as her eyes followed the man as he entered. Oddly, she could see a look of distraction in his brow, as if his mind was elsewhere besides on the duties before him.
A bit late, Devin thought, regarding the chief strident announcement. She had been on the bridge for an entire...
Oh. Right. Suppressing a sigh, she levered herself out of her seat and turned to regard her new CO.
Well, she thought wryly, at least he was cute...
The call from the MCPO was jarring as Jin-soo was forced out of her flow. She grimaced as she straightened with the others to attention, her expression returning to a blank stare as her eyes levelled at the Captain.
James blinked. He was a little distracted but he wasn't gonna let it affect his duties. He motioned for everyone to return to their normal positions. "As you were. All stations, status report please" he said as he stepped onto the Federation flag that was printed on the floor in the middle of the command circle.
"Sciences is showing no faults and is ready to proceed, Captain," T'Raen answered in the customary, dry monotone of the Vulcan. With the sensors' data ready to be streamed in from the Ops Station, and the various disciplines showing they were all accounted for and ready for assignment, the Chief showed nothing but certainty as she looked for the other bridge departments to report the same.
What tone to take, Devin thought. Irreverent? Ironic? Sarcastic? Well...the captain did not deserve any of that. Then a thought struck her, recalling what the wide-eyed ensign she had relieved had said, and she smiled.
"Power systems within nominal tolerances for Horizon at rest, sir" Devin reported. The ensign glanced up from an auxiliary station a surprised expression on her face, and Devin favored him with a wink.
"Sir. Security and Tactical is all green all the away across the board." She said.
“Trajectory plotted for the Bohr system,” Jin-soo replied as she returned to her seat behind the helm. “Ready to get underway whenever you give the order, sir.”
The commander stood at her station and doesn't stop working.
"Very well" he said as most of the present senior officers reported their updates. He looked around the bridge. Everyone here was completely new except for a select few junior officers, and Lieutenant Klaz, who wasn't present on the bridge at the moment as he wasn't required to be. However, two of the officers on the bridge he didn't recognize at all. He noted the presence of his new ops chief and his new science officer. Both were last minute transfers.
James turned his head towards Hadenbeer. "Ops please get us departure clearance, Commander-?" he inquired after giving off the order.
"Hadenbeer, sir," Devin replied. Assuming she was given leave to sit...oh hell, she was going to sit anyway. She resumed her seat and opened a channel to the star base.
"Clearance confirmed, Captain," she reported, noting how...strange this all felt. She glanced at the woman at the helm and said, "No traffic in our way, exterior station doors are open. We are free to fly."
After he heard the Commander's name, he couldn't help but think that it sounded a little familiar. But he hadn't known anyone with that name personally. He shook off that feeling. It was probably nothing. "Thank you Commander Hadenbeer."
He turned to the helm officer. "Lieutenant Tae, take us out. Nice and easy at one quarter impulse power with the aft thrusters please."
"One quarter impulse to aft thrusters," Jin-soo parroted, easing the cruiser into a gentle glide.
The Horizon flew closer and closer to the doors which revealed the vacuum of space. She approached the space doors with a nice pace. James rested his glace on the viewscreen which showed the open space doors getting closer. He was glad to be getting back out into space.
At that point Devin found she was actually glad most of the people were behind her, so they could not see her face. She recalled all the times she had taken a ship out under similar circumstances, from the first Lionheart to the third. Her position on board Horizon, her "freedom" tasted of bitter ashes...
The Century class transitioned smoothly through the space doors into normal space. Just as the ship exited the space doors, which closed behind the Horizon, the planet below came into view on the center screen. Saying views like these were beautiful was an understatement for many.
As they were departing on the edge of the shipyard it was a very short time to the perimeter of the station, which meant that the Horizon was cleared for faster speeds.
"We have cleared the station's safety parameters and are ready to go to warp." Jin-soo reported from behind her station.
The man smirked as he looked at the viewscreen. "Helm, take us to warp factor eight on our set course. Engage on my command."
"Aye sir, warp eight set, ready to engage on your command."
It had been well over three months since the Horizon, and her Captain had last been underway. It was nice to be able to return to what was normal for him. James turned around and lowered himself into his chair and leaned back.
"Let's ride the wake" he said as his command phrase this time around, with a smile.
Jin-soo raised an eyebrow, "Uh... riding the wake now, sir", she said before engaging the warp engines.
The USS Horizon jumped to warp in a magnificent flash into the stars. The transition to space was swift and now on the viewscreen, the view was the stars flying by at a moderate pace.
"Eta to the Bohr system?" he inquired.
"One hundred and four hours." She quickly replied.
The Captain settled in his command chair. "Very well, thank you Lieutenant."
The Horizon cruised through the stars swiftly enroute to her next destination, the Bohr system. Or so they thought.
OFF:
Captain James Phoenix
Commanding Officer
USS Horizon NCC-88003
Commander Sernia Logan
Chief Security/Tactical Officer and Second Officer
USS Horizon NCC-88003
Lieutenant Commander Devin Hadenbeer
Chief Operations Officer
USS Horizon NCC-88003
Lieutenant Commander T'Raen
Chief Science Officer
USS Horizon NCC-88003
Lieutenant Commander Richelle Sorenson
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Horizon NCC 88003
Lieutenant Jin-soo Tae
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Horizon NCC 88003
Lieutenant Dezra Laux (NPC)
Engineering Officer
USS Horizon NCC 88003
Master Chief Petty Officer Evelyn Bailey (NPC)
Chief of Boat
USS Horizon NCC 88003
Commander Ashlynn Regan (NPC)
Acting Head of Starfleet Research and Development
Starfleet Command
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