Bring me something nice

Posted on Sat Oct 15th, 2011 @ 9:35pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Lieutenant JG Zam Stott [Byrne]

Mission: Old Relics
Location: USS Endeavour - Bridge
Timeline: MD01 0805hrs

Benjamin always felt good seeing the changeover of shift between the gamma and alpha crew. Even though they were currently lacking a large amount of their senior staff, the ship's acting chiefs were the best that they had onboard, and they all took pride in having the alpha shift; first amongst their colleagues, standing guard over the prime time of the working day. Or rather, that's at least how Benjamin had seen it back when he was just a regular bridge officer.

"Lieutenant," the captain said, as he made his way from the turbolift over towards his chair, after the shift change had been completed; smoothly, as ever. "Have we received any word from Starfleet on which ship they will be sending to meet us?"

"Yes sir, it came in during the night," Stott replied. The Bolian operations officer had relished at the opportunity to serve as the acting chief during the last four months; in truth, the length of time the man had been in service as an assistant should have been enough to secure him the top job fully, but Benjamin had heard of too many issues where the proud blue-skin had been overly prickly with his colleagues; even downright rude towards Narayn after Benjamin had first promoted him to provisional lieutenant commander and the first officer posting. And now that the possibility of being replaced once again with a full-time chief was looming in on them, the junior lieutenant had started to get noticeably antsy. "The Antarctic will be our rendezvous."

"The Antarctic?" Benjamin asked, unable to stop himself from blurting the name out. That was one ship that he had never expected to meet up with all the way out here. "My my, just how small the galaxy is..." he muttered under his breath.

"Sir?"

"Oh, nothing Lieutenant, carry on," the captain said, dismissing the curious question from the officer, as he left his chair and made his way instead towards the ready room, collecting PADDs from two ensigns who were making beelines for him to hand them over as he went.

"Computer," the word was spoken almost with an air of mischievous curiosity. "Who is the current commander of the Antarctic?"

"The USS Antarctic, NCC 73490 is currently commanded by Captain Alan James MonRoe, Starfleet serial number-"

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Byrne cut in, holding his hand up by habit. There was a smile on his face as he made his way round to the replicator near his desk. "Coffee, white, extra sweet," he ordered of it, before taking the drink in one hand, tossing the pair of PADDs onto his desk with the other, and lowering himself slowly into his chair. Captain MonRoe had been his CO for... what? Five years? It had been MonRoe who had convinced him to return to Starfleet after the whole Diana affair - or at least partly. Sarah had had her own part to play in that decision. MonRoe was also the only captain he'd served under as first officer before. He had accepted him back after the destruction of the Hendrix without a second look, and treated him no differently for not being offered a second command straight after the war. In fact, MonRoe had likely helped Ben become a more rounded command officer by the time he had been offered the New York. Byrne doubted that he have had such a successful command career - and that he would currently be captain of a vessel as powerful and prestigious as a Sovereign-class - had it not been for his old mentor and friend.

"I hope you've brought me something nice after all these years, Captain," Benjamin muttered under his breath as he took a sip of his coffee. "Perhaps like a new engineer, or a doctor, hmm?"

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Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer
USS Endeavour