A New Fresh Faced Arrival
Posted on Tue Aug 2nd, 2022 @ 6:09am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Ensign Rachel Sinclair
Edited on on Tue Aug 2nd, 2022 @ 6:12am
1,665 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 13 - Crooked River
Location: Empok Nor, upper pylon 7
Timeline: MD001 0700 hrs
Standing in the turbolift on her way to one of the upper pylons, Rachel was keeping herself busy by reading over the specifications of the Intrepid class as she’d been told her first assignment was one of these types of ships. To say that she felt nervous would be an understatement. While she was definitely excited to get her Starfleet career started, this would be her first time living away from her father. Even when she was at the academy, her father was always nearby at Starfleet Intelligence HQ.
Feeling the lift begin to slow, Rachel put her PADD away, gave her uniform a quick brush down to try and remove any wrinkles that might be there and as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened, she set out looking for the docking birth where the Pioneer was docked.
Tyler had just turned the corner and headed for the airlock with the Pioneer. He figured that if he was going to have to recall the crew from shore leave he may as well be the first one aboard. As he approached the airlock he noticed a rather interesting looking Ensign who appeared to be lost. The woman was pale white with white hair, but the most startling part of her looks were the blue eyes, blue lips and facial tattoos.
As Tyler approached he put on his most genial of smiles. "Isn't she a beaut." He motioned toward the Pioneer through the window with his head.
Not noticing Tyler’s approach, Rachel simply nodded, “she is rather beautiful. Though i often think the Intrepid class looks like it’s missing something towards its aft end. I mean, she starts off well with a large saucer section and secondary hull, but the small nacelles seem a little out of place. Like they should be bigger or something” she said before finally turning to face the person who had spoken to her. Immediately Rachel spotted the four pips on his chest along with the red of his uniform and quickly snapped to attention, “I’m sorry Captain, I meant no disrespect. Please forgive me”
"No disrespect taken Ensign. The nacelles of the Intrepid Class are smaller than some other ships by design. The ship's multi vector nacelles require them to be smaller, which in turn creates less damage to subspace. What you are looking at is the future of all starship design." Tyler smiled and sipped his ever present cup of coffee. "I am Captain Malbrooke and that is my ship out there the USS Pioneer. You seem a bit lost for the moment. Is there something I can do?"
Rachel’s face turned to one of a slight expression of ‘oh crap’ as she now knew this wasn’t just any Captain, it was her new, and first, Commanding Officer. Swallowing some nerves, Rachel quickly reached back into her bag and retrieved her orders, “actually sir, there is something” she said, holing out the orders for Tyler to inspect, “Ensign Rachel Sinclair reporting for duty as your new assistant chief of security and tactical”
The smile on Tyler's face would never recede now. He took the PADD, confirmed and signed the orders. "Well Ensign welcome aboard. You will be working with Lieutenant H'ros Re Seva. He is the new Chief of Security. If I were you I would get used to those small nacelles they are going to be taking you around the galaxy for the foreseeable future. Follow me I will show you around." He motioned toward the airlock and the Pioneer beyond.
“Oh no sir I can’t ask you to do that” Rachel said, putting on a nervous smile, “I wouldn’t ask you to give up your shoreleave to show me around. I’m sure I can find a way to the security office”
"You didn't ask I offered. If it would make you feel better you can consider it an order. Now lets see if I remember correctly your quarters will be on Deck 3. Sounds like that would be a good place to start and get your gear stowed away. What do you think?" Before Rachel could answer Tyler turned to the security officer manning the airlock. The officer came to attention as Tyler's gaze fell upon him. "She's with me... As you were..." He signaled for Rachel to follow him as he stepped onto the ship.
Quickly following Tyler, Rachel paused for a moment to give the security officer nervous smile and a wave before continuing on into the airlock. “Um, thank you Captain. I really appreciate it” she said, unsure what else to really say as the pair walked onto the ship.
"Think nothing of it. I pride my ship on being family first, so it is only fair I show ya around the homestead as it were. So tell me what brings you to our little corner of the galaxy. I mean why this posting, this ship that sort of thing?" Tyler always asked this question of newcomers he always wondered why people chose to be on his ship.
Rachel struggled to find an answer to Tyler’s question. After a moment of thought, She figured she might as well just lay it out, “Um, well, this was the first assignment I was offered and I was eager to start my Starfleet career. Maybe I should’ve looked at all of the offered assignments before making a decision, but what’s done is done and now I’ve got to prove myself worthy of this chance”
Tyler smirked for the second time since meeting the Ensign. "You would not be here if you were not worthy. One of the benefits of being Captain is that you can choose your crew. I saw your file and I know that you will be an excellent addition to this crew..." He walked shoulder to shoulder with her and as they strode through the ship they received some interesting looks from other crew members. "Before we continue have you any questions for me?"
"As the ship is an Intrepid class, has it received any of the upgrades the USS Voyager came back with from the delta quadrant" Rachel asked.
"Yes indeed we have a number of upgrades from the standard issue Intrepid Class. Some were from the Voyager and others just made sense. From Voyager we received heightened sensors, ablative armor, Borg augmentation to our Stellar Cartography suite." Tyler paused as he wondered if the Ensign had studied his file. "You know Ensign I was there when Voyager came back." Tyler spoke with the same amount of pride as he had when he spoke of his crew.
At Tyler’s comment, Rachel looked up at him with a look of mixed surprise and admiration, “really? You were there when Voyager returned? What was it like? Did they really blow their way out of a Borg Sphere? What’s Captain Janeway like? Did you get to meet her?”
"Unfortunately I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting the Admiral. However, I have met Commander Tuvok, and Captain Chakotay. Lieutenant Kim gave me a tour of Voyager. I have to admit that I am somewhat a fan of that ship and her crew. It is why I requested an Intrepid Class when I was offered a command. USS Voyager did indeed emerge from a Borg transwarp conduit and was escorted to Earth. I was at the Academy when the ship did a fly by of Starfleet HQ. Watching the ship glide over the Golden Gate was something to see." Tyler's voice was full of wistful memory. There was still a large part of him that longed for that time. And yet he knew that his Pioneer and his crew were making their own mark on time.
“I’m so envious, Admiral Janeway was a great inspiration for me while I was at the academy. I was tempted to pursue a science path but security looked more exciting” The Ensign replied with a smile of her own.
"Oh there is excitement in every part of Starfleet but I can understand the idea that Security has all the fun." Tyler smiled. "I came up through the Operational side of the fleet and here I am. I know you want to have all the fun now, but where do you want your career to go ultimately. You have your eyes on the center seat?" Tyler allowed the young woman to enter the turbolift first and followed her in before ordering it to deck three.
Rachel hesitated for a moment before responding, "I haven't given it any thought to be honest. I just started my career so I think my first goal is department head before I'm even going to give the center chair a moments thought"
"Fair enough..." Tyler began. "So now it is up to you. I can leave you here to get settled or we can continue the tour." It was rather refreshing for the Captain to be leading a new person around the ship. It allowed him to see how everything is greeted with wide eyed wonder, before an officer became jaded.
“I think I should get settled before I meet the rest of my department, but I wouldn’t mind a quick bit to eat if you’d be willing to show me the way to the mess hall” Rachel replied, “that is unless you have something else to attend to, I don’t want to hold you up sir”
"Would be no trouble at all... We can go grab some breakfast and then you can get settled into life here on the Pioneer." Tyler replied with one of his trademark boyish smiles.
A Joint Post By
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Rachel Sinclair
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
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