I think someone should start an Aventine book series. Here's just my vision or fantasy of what it could look like. Please post and tell me what you think about my writing and whether you feel there should be an Aventine book series and who you think would be a great author to kick it off. Captain Ezri Dax walked confidentally through the corridor towards the turbilift that would take her to the bridge. Lost in contemplation, she couldn't help but smile to herself and almost let out a giggle but that wouldn't show proper decorum for a starship captain as she passed other officers and crewmen going about their daily routine, so she restrained herself. Ezri has struggled most of her starfleet career feeling a certain amout of fulfillment. All she ever wanted to do was make a difference in peoples lives and be part of the unknown that awaits thoughout the vastness of space beyond her home planet. Never would she have imagined the many unexpected twists and turns her life would take. Once she was an ensign serving as assistant ships counselor on the USS Destiny when it was dispatched to Deep Space 9 on a medical emergency to carry the Dax symbiont back to Trill following the death of its previous host, Jadzia Dax. En route, the symbiont took a turn for the worse, and, as the only Trill aboard, though one who had decided against joining, Ezri had little choice but to undergo the joining procedure, with only a fifteen minute lecture from the ship's non-Trill surgeon to prepare her. Following the joining, Ezri returned to Trill with the Destiny, and met with members of the Symbiosis Commission's Evaluation Board, who gave her counseling on how to deal with her new memories, but they were unable to help her further. With her friends and family having difficulty adjusting to her changed personality, and her own confusions about who she really was, Ezri took a leave of absence. Seeking some sort of link to the person she was now, Ezri sought out Benjamin Sisko, a friend of Dax's previous two hosts, to see if he could help her through the difficult process of integrating eight lifetimes of experience. Seeking out Sisko resulted in another unexpected string of events as she ended up being promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade and served as counselor aboard Deep Space Nine. Her tenure on DS9 brought many challenges chief among them was she was now on the front lines of the Dominion War faced with much pain and suffering from those around her. Following the end of the Dominion War, Ezri now carrying the rank of full lieutenant, sought shipboard duty and switched to a command track about the USS Aventine. Aventine introduced a new class of starship being Starfleets most advanced ship of the line with it's new slipstream drive. Thanks to new technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager, starfleets Corps of Engineers were successfully able to reverse engineer the technology. Aventine was the first ship to have this new technology making it the fastest ship in the fleet. Aventine saw her first combat action against the Borg during the invasion of Acamar. During the battle, the commanding officer and the executive officer were both killed, leaving Ezri Dax in command of the ship. With eight lifetimes of experience and her current starfleet career backing her up, her superiors felt it logical to officially elevate her to the rank of captain and Aventine would be hers. Of course, Dax reflected, it could have been under better circumstances. Barely having enough time to adjust to her new life as a starship captain, her little corner of the galaxy witnessed more pain and suffering. The Borg invasion saw to the deaths of billions of souls and the destruction of countless planets as the Borg apparently adopted a new means of conquering by annihilation rather than assimilation. Along with Enterprise and Titan, Dax and her crew found themselves playing a vital role in stopping the Borgs kamikaze attacks and ending the threat forever. Among the ashes of the Borg invasion saw the rise of a new threat with the Typhon Pact. A conglomerate of interstellar powers including the Romulans, Gorn, Breen, Tholians, Tzenkethi, and Kinshaya. This shift in Alpha and Beta Quadrant politics was sure to keep everyone on their toes. Years of trials and tribulations with very little peace has all starfleet officers craving a change. Starfleet is not here to be a war machine. Although more than capable of putting up a fight, starfleets main purpose has always been that of a scientific nature. Stepping into the turbolift, Dax ordered to be taken to the bridge where she knew her senior staff would be waiting to hear of their new assignment. Thinking to herself, she smiled again and a new mischievious thought entered her mind. And it's not going to be the assignment they were expecting. Dax adopted her best 'poker face' as the turbolift deposited her onto the bridge. As she made her way her command chair she did her best to fake a solemn demeanor. Comander Sam Bowers vacated the seat at her approach and greeted her. Rather than sit she decided to stand. "Liautenant Kedair, open up a ship-wide comm, I wish to address the crew." Bowers, as if sensing she was about to deliver bad news, arrived at her side as a show of support. "Ready Captain." came the announcement from Kedair that the captain could speak to the crew. "Attention crew of Aventine, this is Captian Dax. I would like to start off by telling you how much of an honor it has been for me to be serving with you these past few years. We have been through our ups and downs and you have all given exemplary service to this ship and her captain. All captains will claim that they have the best crew in the fleet. It's become such a common phrase that some may feel there is no uniqueness to it when it is spoken and it has become a phrase taken lightly. Well, I can't speak for everyone but I do have the best crew in the fleet and if anyone ever tries to say otherwise I will phaser them down!." Dax ignored the varied surprised expressions being thrown her way by her command crew and continued. "Recent history has brought us much suffering at the hands of the Dominion and the Borg and now an air of uncertainty looms over us with the Typhon Pact. We've forgotten what it truly means to be starfleet officers. We didn't join Starfleet to fight in wars, we joined to fulfill a destiny. A destiny sought by each of our ancestors since life began on our respective planets. We seek to earn and learn, to discover and explore, to become better for ourselves and bring something back to our people. That's why we're starfleet officers. We have a unique opportunity as we fly around in our ships and it's time to get back to it!" Pausing for a brief moment, Dax looked around at the expectant faces all around her. No longer were they awaiting bad news, they were waiting for the grand finale of her speech. She had no doubt that some or all of her crew now knew what direction this was going. She decided to keep them waiting no longer. "A tenuous peace has been established between the Khitomer Accord and Typhon Pact powers. Both sides have made clear they do not want war. Even with minor skirmashes, the Pact is keeping themsleves in check and it's a situation Starfleet feels is under control. Moments ago, I received new orders from Command. These new orders will take full advantage of Aventine's unique propulsion abilities and take us on an exploratory assignment to an unexplored region of the Beta Quadrant. Command has ordered Aventine to Earth. There, Aventine will undergo crew rotations, systems upgrades, and take on supplies at McKinley Station as I discuss the specifics of our mission with command. R&R will be extended to the crew during our stay and I order you all to take advantage of it. Dax out." Dax turned towards her senior staff and saw nothing but cheers and applause. "Lieutenant Mirren, inform engineering to fire up the slipstream drive then set a course for Earth and engage." As she again allowed herself to smile; a strange feeling momentarily overwhelmed her. Putting her finger on it right away she realized that for the first time in her career she was feeling fulfilled. I'm here to make a difference, and I'm going to do it by leading my crew into the unknown depths of the final frontier.