Stepping out of the admiral’s office, she passed through the anteroom and into the corridor in a near daze; she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. She activated the PADD and looked at the contents, which was just what the admiral had told her, as she slowly navigated the hallways of Starfleet Headquarters. The first screen was the confirmation of her promotion, she was once again being elevated to Captain—a rank she had once held for a matter of days, before the power play at work had been exposed and she’d been demoted two grades, though there were those who said she’d gotten off lightly. She had thought that her career would never go any further but, after two years as the Sector Logistics Manager on Epsilon Station, following crew losses in the Dominion War she’d been promoted to First Officer onboard the U.S.S. Zephyr, a forty year old Miranda-Class ship, where she’d remained for almost five years until she’d been recalled to Earth for the meeting she had just left.
She was a Captain once more. But that wasn’t the only surprise of the meeting. She wasn’t being relegated to a desk job at HQ or an administrative post at some Starfleet field office; she was being given command of a starship! However, it wasn’t just any ship but rather one that had become somewhat legendary, the only vessel to traverse the Delta Quadrant: the U.S.S. Voyager.
The Vice Admiral had taken great pleasure in telling her that she would be filling her former chair. Her expression must’ve been a picture, if the grin on Kathryn Janeway’s face was any indication. She’d been so stunned, first at the news of her promotion then at her new command that she’d blurted out why her?
Janeway had sat back and bore into her with her cool blue eyes. She suspected what Janeway had said next would resonate inside her mind for the rest of her days: Given all she’s gone through over the last seven years, the trials and challenges she’s faced, the fact that a third of her crew were once branded terrorists, Voyager is a ship of redemption and I think it’s about time you were given a proper second chance.
Hearing those words, that faith that Janeway had in her, she was almost at the point of tears—she had never thought that she’d be offered such an opportunity ever again.
Her head reeling from her conversation with Janeway, her legs somehow moved her forward whilst muscle memory brought her back to the small temporary office she’d been allocated the use of during her time, however short, whilst on Earth. She flopped down into the visitors seat, in a quite un-captain-like manner, whilst the chair behind her desk remained empty. The sensors of the HQ building registered her entry and the terminal that faced away from her chirped.
She spun it around, shaking her head to try and help her focus once more. Activating the desktop computer it showed her that a number of files had been made available to her, including the complete mission logs of Voyager’s epic journey home, the ship’s current technical specifications (having undergone a full refurbishment and refit, not to mention the removal of some of her more advanced additions), and the senior staff that had been assigned.
There was also a message from Starfleet Command, alerting her to a mission briefing—which had been something Janeway had purposefully not mentioned. With a couple of hours before she needed to make that meeting, she decided to start brushing up on the men and women who would be serving under her.
Once she opened the personnel files she noted that most of the crew had served onboard Voyager for the last seven years. One of the names of the former crew jumped out at her, but as the former security chief Commander Tuvok was well known thanks to the Federation News Service coverage. He had spent most of his time back in the Alpha Quadrant on medical leave on Vulcan, but had returned to active duty a couple months earlier and requested the transfer back to Voyager. With a long list of accomplishments and specialist skills he was one of the most highly trained officers she’d ever seen, a definite asset to have as her new Executive Officer. The second officer was also her new counsellor and diplomatic specialist which, for one so young, was quite an accomplishment, but given that the Trill had eight lifetimes of experience to draw upon it wasn’t surprising. She had met the last Dax host once before, albeit very briefly, but didn’t know Ezri—though her glowing record onboard DS9 over the last four years proved that she’d earned her new promotion to lieutenant commander.
Her bridge crew included two former Maquis in prominent positions, flight control officer Lieutenant Zavier Ayala and Ensign Gerron Enek. Ayala had had a promising career in Starfleet before going AWOL to fight for his homeworld in what had once been the DMZ, but once onboard Voyager he’d proven to be one of the ship’s best officers—regardless of his past. Gerron on the other hand was from a Bajoran refugee camp, with no formal training or qualifications, but had the uncanny ability to pick up skills incredibly quickly. He’d had a troubled beginning, but had come on in leaps and bounds, becoming a dependable and adaptable crewman—who’d been awarded a commission after the ship had returned home and would be her new operations manager.
Lieutenants Liya Golwat and Vorik had been promoted up to security chief and chief engineer, respectively. Both had graduated highly from their classes at the Academy and throughout the ship’s return home had proven to be exceptional, both highly recommended by their predecessors to be more than capable to take on the added responsibilities. Golwat was known for her strategic thinking and skills in tactical combat, skills that Tuvok rated exceptionally highly. Vorik, after a short reconnection with his family, had returned promptly to take a leading role in the ships programme of works whilst in dry-dock, using his impressive knowledge of the ship to the advantage of the refurbishment crew.
Her new science and medical officers were a married couple, who’d been separated by seventy thousand light-years but had still resulted in the first baby born onboard. Lieutenant Samantha Wildman specialised in life sciences but had managed to continue her professional development whilst also raising her half-Ktarian daughter, which was challenging for any human even had she not been on the opposite side of the galaxy, due to the rapid development and growth of Ktarians. Doctor Greskrendtregk had served with Counsellor Dax on DS9 as a physician, as such he had been at the forefront of most of the Dominion War, which he’d had to face without knowing the fate of his wife or the existence of his daughter, though had been very active in uniting the family members of the Voyager crew and establishing a support network for them.
Her senior staff were a solid assembly of officers, all of whom had gone through a lot with most being very knowledgeable about the ship and her past. No doubt once her appointment as their new CO was announced they would become very familiar with her record and the shadow that hung over it, just as everyone else she’d served with had been. Some had asked her why she had essentially betrayed the uniform, to which her stock answer had been that she was following orders—though that never pleased anyone who heard, especially herself.
In truth, she’d been swept away by the ideals of a charismatic and highly-regarded man, someone whom she had looked up to and respected, who had given her chances that no one else had, who had groomed her for command and the responsibilities of leadership. There was no way she could’ve resisted his influence or said no to him, until he’d gone too far. For all his charm and all her idolisation, he couldn’t make her kill for him.
She shook her head to clear away the dark memory, focusing on the rest of the crew roster. There were another 132 names on the list and she wanted to get through as many of them as she could before the meeting with Command.
* * * * *
The gentle hum of the impulse engines, the soft hiss of an environmental processor in need of a scrub, and the faint chirps and beeps of the controls from the cockpit filled the small shuttlecraft. She’d faced two days of meetings, conferences and communiqués at Headquarters before finally being able to head to her new ship.
Voyager was docked at Utopia Planitia undergoing the last of her extensive repair, refit and refurbishment work—long overdue given all she’d been through. A shuttle from the ship, piloted by Lieutenant Ayala, had been sent to Earth to ferry her to Mars. The former Maquis had proven himself to be the ‘strong, silent type’, keeping chatter to a minimum though she wasn’t sure if that was just who he was or if it was because of who she was. She’d decided not to let it bother her and instead focus on the stack of PADDs she’d brought with her.
She’d managed to familiarise herself with the crew files and system status reports from the ship, but her main focus was on the mission. Voyager was going to be part of a four ship task force being sent into the Gamma Quadrant, the first extensive mission of exploration since the end of the Dominion War—something that had taken almost a year of negotiations to work out. Led by the Nebula-Class U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William Riker, they would be joining the starships Olympia and Pathfinder on the other side of the galaxy, a mission the ship and many of the crew had already proven themselves more than capable of handling. This time however it was a scheduled and supported mission, the object of which wasn’t to return home but to become the first wave of a new expedition to a region that Starfleet still knew so little about. She had to admit that she was excited about such an opportunity being presented to them, and once against had to wonder what role Janeway had played in that.
The mission would launch once Captain Riker reported aboard the Titan following his wedding, so she would have a couple of weeks to familiarise herself first hand with the ship and its crew before they departed. That would also give her time to get some impressions from the other ships in the task force; the last thing she wanted was to cause any problems for Voyager because of her past mistakes. After the specifics of their mission was made public there would also be a lot of media attention and reaction that they would all face, Voyager more than any other ship given its high profile. Part of her did wonder if her promotion and assignment was a mistake, if she was being set up to take the fall for anything that went wrong—but that had lingered in the back of her mind ever since her demotion.
“Captain,” Ayala spoke up, shattering the quiet din of the shuttle, “we’re on our approach.”
“Understood, Lieutenant,” she replied, leaning forward to peer out the forward viewport and take her first look at her new ship.
Visually, the ship looked no different than she would’ve when launched eight years ago but she knew that inside things had changed significantly. Every major system had either been overhauled or replaced entirely (such as her computer cores though that was to allow Starfleet Science, the Federation Science Directorate, and the Daystrom Institute full access to analyse all the data she’d brought back). Her defences and tactical systems were all upgrades, including quantum torpedoes, her sensors now incorporated several experimental arrays, her highly efficient warp drive had been tinkered with to improve fuel efficiency by a further twenty-one percent. Even all those of her original crew would be surprised at just what she’d be able to do now.
Ayala took them in a wide arch, around the saucer and towards the shuttlebay at the rear. A light tap on the controls and the type-eight shuttle spun effortlessly to aim at the opening doors, affording her a first glimpse inside, where almost thirty of the crew stood at attention for her arrival.
She swallowed heavily, feeling the icy fingers of anxiety grip her stomach. She rotated her shoulders then tugged down on her uniform jacket, ensuring that it was immaculate, checked her combadge was on straight and quickly patted her hair—which was pulled back into such a tight knotted braid it hurt. She didn’t want anything to make it look as though she wasn’t presentable to her new crew. As she straightened her collar and made sure it was zipped up as high as it could go, her fingers brushed against the four rank pips displayed for all to see.
All her career she had aimed for captaincy and had been elated the first time she’d been bestowed the honour. Having that taken from her had been a bitter pill to swallow, one that, even now with the rank restored, she still hadn’t gotten over.
The shuttle passed through the atmospheric forcefield, pivoted and slowly set down on the deck with the lightest of thumps. It took Ayala a moment or two to secure the controls and power down the engines, giving her the chance to ensure she had the right PADD in hand and take a couple of deep breaths. When he stepped into the aft section she stood and he gave her a soft grin.
“Welcome aboard, Captain.”
“Thank you.”
He moved ahead of her, tapped the panel to lower the aft ramp and once it opened he stepped out and stood at attention. In a strong, steady voice that almost boomed in the large hangar, he announced, “Commanding officer Voyager arriving.”
Without a moment’s hesitation she stepped onto the ramp as the boatswain’s whistle sounded and marched to the lectern that awaited her. She set down the tablet and took a few seconds to look at the faces, all of which she remembered from the crew files though none of whom she actually knew. Taking a steadying breath she activated the PADD and glanced at the passage she had memorised days earlier.
“To Captain Erika J. Benteen, stardate 56790.1. You are hereby requested and required to take command of the U.S.S. Voyager as of this date. Signed Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway, Starfleet Command.”
* * * * *
END
She was a Captain once more. But that wasn’t the only surprise of the meeting. She wasn’t being relegated to a desk job at HQ or an administrative post at some Starfleet field office; she was being given command of a starship! However, it wasn’t just any ship but rather one that had become somewhat legendary, the only vessel to traverse the Delta Quadrant: the U.S.S. Voyager.
The Vice Admiral had taken great pleasure in telling her that she would be filling her former chair. Her expression must’ve been a picture, if the grin on Kathryn Janeway’s face was any indication. She’d been so stunned, first at the news of her promotion then at her new command that she’d blurted out why her?
Janeway had sat back and bore into her with her cool blue eyes. She suspected what Janeway had said next would resonate inside her mind for the rest of her days: Given all she’s gone through over the last seven years, the trials and challenges she’s faced, the fact that a third of her crew were once branded terrorists, Voyager is a ship of redemption and I think it’s about time you were given a proper second chance.
Hearing those words, that faith that Janeway had in her, she was almost at the point of tears—she had never thought that she’d be offered such an opportunity ever again.
Her head reeling from her conversation with Janeway, her legs somehow moved her forward whilst muscle memory brought her back to the small temporary office she’d been allocated the use of during her time, however short, whilst on Earth. She flopped down into the visitors seat, in a quite un-captain-like manner, whilst the chair behind her desk remained empty. The sensors of the HQ building registered her entry and the terminal that faced away from her chirped.
She spun it around, shaking her head to try and help her focus once more. Activating the desktop computer it showed her that a number of files had been made available to her, including the complete mission logs of Voyager’s epic journey home, the ship’s current technical specifications (having undergone a full refurbishment and refit, not to mention the removal of some of her more advanced additions), and the senior staff that had been assigned.
There was also a message from Starfleet Command, alerting her to a mission briefing—which had been something Janeway had purposefully not mentioned. With a couple of hours before she needed to make that meeting, she decided to start brushing up on the men and women who would be serving under her.
Once she opened the personnel files she noted that most of the crew had served onboard Voyager for the last seven years. One of the names of the former crew jumped out at her, but as the former security chief Commander Tuvok was well known thanks to the Federation News Service coverage. He had spent most of his time back in the Alpha Quadrant on medical leave on Vulcan, but had returned to active duty a couple months earlier and requested the transfer back to Voyager. With a long list of accomplishments and specialist skills he was one of the most highly trained officers she’d ever seen, a definite asset to have as her new Executive Officer. The second officer was also her new counsellor and diplomatic specialist which, for one so young, was quite an accomplishment, but given that the Trill had eight lifetimes of experience to draw upon it wasn’t surprising. She had met the last Dax host once before, albeit very briefly, but didn’t know Ezri—though her glowing record onboard DS9 over the last four years proved that she’d earned her new promotion to lieutenant commander.
Her bridge crew included two former Maquis in prominent positions, flight control officer Lieutenant Zavier Ayala and Ensign Gerron Enek. Ayala had had a promising career in Starfleet before going AWOL to fight for his homeworld in what had once been the DMZ, but once onboard Voyager he’d proven to be one of the ship’s best officers—regardless of his past. Gerron on the other hand was from a Bajoran refugee camp, with no formal training or qualifications, but had the uncanny ability to pick up skills incredibly quickly. He’d had a troubled beginning, but had come on in leaps and bounds, becoming a dependable and adaptable crewman—who’d been awarded a commission after the ship had returned home and would be her new operations manager.
Lieutenants Liya Golwat and Vorik had been promoted up to security chief and chief engineer, respectively. Both had graduated highly from their classes at the Academy and throughout the ship’s return home had proven to be exceptional, both highly recommended by their predecessors to be more than capable to take on the added responsibilities. Golwat was known for her strategic thinking and skills in tactical combat, skills that Tuvok rated exceptionally highly. Vorik, after a short reconnection with his family, had returned promptly to take a leading role in the ships programme of works whilst in dry-dock, using his impressive knowledge of the ship to the advantage of the refurbishment crew.
Her new science and medical officers were a married couple, who’d been separated by seventy thousand light-years but had still resulted in the first baby born onboard. Lieutenant Samantha Wildman specialised in life sciences but had managed to continue her professional development whilst also raising her half-Ktarian daughter, which was challenging for any human even had she not been on the opposite side of the galaxy, due to the rapid development and growth of Ktarians. Doctor Greskrendtregk had served with Counsellor Dax on DS9 as a physician, as such he had been at the forefront of most of the Dominion War, which he’d had to face without knowing the fate of his wife or the existence of his daughter, though had been very active in uniting the family members of the Voyager crew and establishing a support network for them.
Her senior staff were a solid assembly of officers, all of whom had gone through a lot with most being very knowledgeable about the ship and her past. No doubt once her appointment as their new CO was announced they would become very familiar with her record and the shadow that hung over it, just as everyone else she’d served with had been. Some had asked her why she had essentially betrayed the uniform, to which her stock answer had been that she was following orders—though that never pleased anyone who heard, especially herself.
In truth, she’d been swept away by the ideals of a charismatic and highly-regarded man, someone whom she had looked up to and respected, who had given her chances that no one else had, who had groomed her for command and the responsibilities of leadership. There was no way she could’ve resisted his influence or said no to him, until he’d gone too far. For all his charm and all her idolisation, he couldn’t make her kill for him.
She shook her head to clear away the dark memory, focusing on the rest of the crew roster. There were another 132 names on the list and she wanted to get through as many of them as she could before the meeting with Command.
* * * * *
The gentle hum of the impulse engines, the soft hiss of an environmental processor in need of a scrub, and the faint chirps and beeps of the controls from the cockpit filled the small shuttlecraft. She’d faced two days of meetings, conferences and communiqués at Headquarters before finally being able to head to her new ship.
Voyager was docked at Utopia Planitia undergoing the last of her extensive repair, refit and refurbishment work—long overdue given all she’d been through. A shuttle from the ship, piloted by Lieutenant Ayala, had been sent to Earth to ferry her to Mars. The former Maquis had proven himself to be the ‘strong, silent type’, keeping chatter to a minimum though she wasn’t sure if that was just who he was or if it was because of who she was. She’d decided not to let it bother her and instead focus on the stack of PADDs she’d brought with her.
She’d managed to familiarise herself with the crew files and system status reports from the ship, but her main focus was on the mission. Voyager was going to be part of a four ship task force being sent into the Gamma Quadrant, the first extensive mission of exploration since the end of the Dominion War—something that had taken almost a year of negotiations to work out. Led by the Nebula-Class U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William Riker, they would be joining the starships Olympia and Pathfinder on the other side of the galaxy, a mission the ship and many of the crew had already proven themselves more than capable of handling. This time however it was a scheduled and supported mission, the object of which wasn’t to return home but to become the first wave of a new expedition to a region that Starfleet still knew so little about. She had to admit that she was excited about such an opportunity being presented to them, and once against had to wonder what role Janeway had played in that.
The mission would launch once Captain Riker reported aboard the Titan following his wedding, so she would have a couple of weeks to familiarise herself first hand with the ship and its crew before they departed. That would also give her time to get some impressions from the other ships in the task force; the last thing she wanted was to cause any problems for Voyager because of her past mistakes. After the specifics of their mission was made public there would also be a lot of media attention and reaction that they would all face, Voyager more than any other ship given its high profile. Part of her did wonder if her promotion and assignment was a mistake, if she was being set up to take the fall for anything that went wrong—but that had lingered in the back of her mind ever since her demotion.
“Captain,” Ayala spoke up, shattering the quiet din of the shuttle, “we’re on our approach.”
“Understood, Lieutenant,” she replied, leaning forward to peer out the forward viewport and take her first look at her new ship.
Visually, the ship looked no different than she would’ve when launched eight years ago but she knew that inside things had changed significantly. Every major system had either been overhauled or replaced entirely (such as her computer cores though that was to allow Starfleet Science, the Federation Science Directorate, and the Daystrom Institute full access to analyse all the data she’d brought back). Her defences and tactical systems were all upgrades, including quantum torpedoes, her sensors now incorporated several experimental arrays, her highly efficient warp drive had been tinkered with to improve fuel efficiency by a further twenty-one percent. Even all those of her original crew would be surprised at just what she’d be able to do now.
Ayala took them in a wide arch, around the saucer and towards the shuttlebay at the rear. A light tap on the controls and the type-eight shuttle spun effortlessly to aim at the opening doors, affording her a first glimpse inside, where almost thirty of the crew stood at attention for her arrival.
She swallowed heavily, feeling the icy fingers of anxiety grip her stomach. She rotated her shoulders then tugged down on her uniform jacket, ensuring that it was immaculate, checked her combadge was on straight and quickly patted her hair—which was pulled back into such a tight knotted braid it hurt. She didn’t want anything to make it look as though she wasn’t presentable to her new crew. As she straightened her collar and made sure it was zipped up as high as it could go, her fingers brushed against the four rank pips displayed for all to see.
All her career she had aimed for captaincy and had been elated the first time she’d been bestowed the honour. Having that taken from her had been a bitter pill to swallow, one that, even now with the rank restored, she still hadn’t gotten over.
The shuttle passed through the atmospheric forcefield, pivoted and slowly set down on the deck with the lightest of thumps. It took Ayala a moment or two to secure the controls and power down the engines, giving her the chance to ensure she had the right PADD in hand and take a couple of deep breaths. When he stepped into the aft section she stood and he gave her a soft grin.
“Welcome aboard, Captain.”
“Thank you.”
He moved ahead of her, tapped the panel to lower the aft ramp and once it opened he stepped out and stood at attention. In a strong, steady voice that almost boomed in the large hangar, he announced, “Commanding officer Voyager arriving.”
Without a moment’s hesitation she stepped onto the ramp as the boatswain’s whistle sounded and marched to the lectern that awaited her. She set down the tablet and took a few seconds to look at the faces, all of which she remembered from the crew files though none of whom she actually knew. Taking a steadying breath she activated the PADD and glanced at the passage she had memorised days earlier.
“To Captain Erika J. Benteen, stardate 56790.1. You are hereby requested and required to take command of the U.S.S. Voyager as of this date. Signed Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway, Starfleet Command.”
* * * * *
END
