Bus Service

Posted on Sun Oct 23rd, 2011 @ 11:20pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Captain Alan MonRoe [PNPC]

Mission: Old Relics
Location: USS Endeavour - Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD01 - 1235hrs

"Quite a ship you have here, Ben," MonRoe commented, as the two officers entered through the door of Byrne's ready room. The Antarctic could just be seen through the window on one wall, as she and the Endeavour both glided through space on matching courses and velocities.

"Thanks," the aforementioned Captain responded, as he moved around his desk and took his seat behind it. It felt so strange, even after all this time, to be sitting on this side of the desk, whilst his former captain took the seat opposite him. "Though I'll admit I was quite surprised when I received my orders to report aboard her. Especially after what happened with the New York."

"I'm sorry, I heard about what happened," MonRoe said, his tone much more sober. "I'll admit it isn't often to find a Captain who's on his third command, with non of the previous in service or the decommissioning yards." He left a long pause, as a depressing silence spread throughout it. "How many did you lose?" he finally asked.

"Too many," was Benjamin's only answer. He'd been required by Starfleet to visit a counsellor on Earth for a few weeks following the destruction of the ship, but it still returned to visit him in his dreams sometimes, and he didn't like to think too much about those who hadn't made it off before the vessels destruction. Determined to change the subject to a more cheerful - and much more recent one, he forcibly perked himself up and returned his gaze from the desk where it had fell to the face of his mentor. "But let's put that aside. What have you got for me today then? I hope you brought me something nice?"

Alan chuckled as he handed over a PADD. "Mostly filler staff positions. A few have been on other ships before, like Rubens in flight control, Grint in security and so forth, but a lot of them are on their first cruise. God knows why they sent them all the way out here to you, but I suppose every ship needs a good batch of fresh blood every now and then. There are a couple of interesting ones in the list though," he jutted his chin out ever so slightly to indicate the list on the PADD.

"I see you've put a couple of them to work on your way over here," Byrne commented, noting that one Lieutenant Jerome had been posted as the Antarctic's assistant chief medical officer on the journey from Earth. "Not like you to break in somebody else's graduates."

"Well, we've been short-staffed on our journey out here," MonRoe explained. "Apparently our current assignment on the Tholian border doesn't put us that high up Starfleet Personnel's priority list. Most of the good crews are going out to ones like you, who are on exploration and long-term survey missions."

Benjamin nodded as he scrolled down the list. A fair few new officers and crewmen for Narayn to break in after their cushy trip over on the old Galaxy-class starship. One name caught his eye though; initially it was the man's rank, which was the highest on the transfer roster, but then his name - more specifically its origins - honed his attention further. "Lieutenant Commander Dekur? That looks like a Cardassian name. I wasn't aware that we had many Cardassians serving in Starfleet."

"No, neither was I," Alan responded, glancing over the top of the PADD upside-down to peek once again at the officer's details. "He defected from the Union right at the start of the war. One of his more recent postings as as chief engineer on the Lakota. Second officer too, I believe."

Benjamin nodded. As someone with only a limited knowledge of engineering - he still kept telling himself he should take more booster courses - he would be grateful to have a highly experienced engineer aboard. Thankfully Starfleet hadn't sent him another young and fresh face for the posting this time round, though he still would have preferred if he had been given the time to go through service records and select one himself. "The Lakota's always been known for being specific about its senior staff, that must mean he's good," the captain commented, mulling the list over. "When can you have them ready to start beaming over?"

"Within the hour," Alan responded. "I've had Quartermaster issue them orders to get their gear packed and ready to beam over in groups, most critical first."

Benjamin smirked at that. "That old coot's still with you then, I see?" Quartermaster - or Chief Petty Officer Smith, as his personnel file listed him - had been serving aboard the Antarctic since before Benjamin's time on board, and was one of the most efficient quartermasters in all of Starfleet; he would have something prepared, ready and stored just where you want it minutes before you even knew that you needed it. He had considered requisitioning Starfleet to transfer him to the Endeavour after he first took command, but knew that it wouldn't have been as easy as that to wrest him from MonRoe's grasp.

"Oh yes," Alan's smirk mirrored his counterpart's. "Starfleet sent through his Master Chief promotion just two months ago. He keeps grumbling that he's going to retire if I threaten him with any more long cruises, but I don't think he'll ever leave the service."

"It's good to see there are some constants in the universe," Benjamin commented, chuckling. "Anyway, thanks for this," he held up the PADD. "Hopefully it won't be another ten years before we're in the same sector again."

"Hopefully not, Captain," MonRoe said, standing. "Make sure you make use of your new crew members. I won't be happy to be your bus service every time you need someone new," he smiled at his quip, before nodding towards the man who had become his equal, and turning to head back to the transporter room.

-----------------
Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer
USS Endeavour

&

Captain Alan MonRoe (PNPC)
Commanding Officer
USS Antarctic