Settling in
Posted on Tue Oct 8th, 2013 @ 11:51am by Commander Brian Ratchford
Mission:
Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Starbase 332 - Various
Timeline: One day after "A New World"
"Starbase Three-Three-Two, this is the Jackal. Requesting permission to dock at our usual berth."
"Permission granted, Jackal," came the response over the open comm. channel. "Welcome home."
Brian watched the viewscreen as the little Defiant-class starship arced around the station in a graceful curve as it headed to the opening spacedock doors. The section of the station damaged in the bombing was still obvious, and it would take a long time yet before the damage was properly repaired.
Since accepting Captain Von's offer to become the station's new first officer - how could he not? He had seen what the aftermath of the attack had done to these people, and knew that they needed all the help that they could get right now - he had also taken on a more permanent command of the Jackal, which he had since learnt had been Captain Gunning's original command before he assumed command of the starbase, bringing the little craft and its crew with him. The commander had been taking the ship out on regular patrol runs around the vicinity of the station, and had been using the ships sensors and on occasion boarding parties to search questionable ships in spot checks as they were approaching or leaving the area. It wasn't exactly standard Starfleet practice, nor something that he would want to keep up with long-term, but in the aftermath of the attack, he had recommended to the captain to have the region's alert level raised, and as a result all ships in the area were granted some limited extra powers in order to try and prevent another such attack on the key facility that the starbase was.
He had also found since starting the daily patrols that the sense of security and safety onboard the station when he and the ship's crew returned was noticeably higher than it had been otherwise. Of course nobody felt completely safe with the reminder of the gaping hole in the station's side, but nevertheless it helped to know that the Jackal was out there every day, doing everything it could to make sure that any more attackers be dealt with long before they get close enough to cause the station any more damage.
The viewscreen automatically shut off as the Jackal's bow slotted between the docking clamps, and the airlocks engaged. Brian's mind's eye also pictured the scene as the ship's external lighting began to shut off as well to start the process of switching to low-power mode.
"Good job today everyone," he said, as he stood from the command chair and addressed the bridge crew. "Have a drink on the promenade on me. You've earned it."
He stood and waited as the rest of the officers filtered out, chatting between themselves as they usually did not that this had become a regular duty for them. Once the bridge was empty, Ratchford called out the command to lock down the ship's consoles and followed his crew out on to the station.
The immediate vicinity of the airlock was busy just as it usually was at this time, but as the Jackal's crew gradually dispersed to various locations around the station, Brian's route to the turbolift became gradually less and less crowded. Eventually, there were only five officers accompanying him when he got into the lift, and all but one - an Ensign Jurio, he thought, trying his best to remember as many names as he could - filtered off as the lift ascended the central structure of the station towards Ops.
"Anything interesting happen whilst I was gone?" the commander asked as he exited the lift, directing his question to the Ops Manager sat at their station towards what felt like the 'front' of the operations centre.
"All quiet here, sir," came the response. "We've received another shipment of raw material for the repairs, but progress is still being held back by the complications in the re-routing of the power systems the maintenance teams reported to you the day before yesterday."
"What about the Captain?" Brian asked, looking around. It had become usual that he would run into her after his patrol somewhere in the vicinity of Ops around this time. "She in her office?"
"No, she's down at the memorial," the ops manager responded, her tone more sober. "I think she wanted some time alone there after the ceremony yesterday."
Brian nodded in understanding. He had learnt that Liarra and Alex had been close friends - as had the station's former chief science officer, another Trill who had to be sent on an emergency trip to Trill in order to save her life after the attack - and he could only imagine what must be going through her mind after such a loss, and having to jump straight into the man's still-warm boots.
"Do you want me to call her for you?" the ops manager asked, looking around at him.
"No, it's alright," Brian responded, realising that he had let the silence hang for a few seconds too long. "Some time alone will do her good, and it's nothing that can't wait," he said, as he moved to take his seat in the off-centre position it held next to the vacant captain's chair.
Commander Brian Ratchford
First Officer
Starbase 332
