"Semper Paratus: Tales of the USS Bluefin"

[TheLoneRedshirt]

I'm going to begin a series of installments about the captain and crew of the StarFleet Border Service Cutter USS Bluefin. The time is the immediate post-Dominion War period. The Bluefin is an elderly Albacore class Border Cutter that continues to see service due to the horrific losses of Star Fleet vessels in the war. She is commanded by Captain Joseph B. Akinola, a wise and seasoned C.O. who is one of the rare breed of "mustang" officers who did not attend the academy but worked their way up through the ranks from Crewman Apprentice until receiving a field commission. Akinola grew up in space on an L-Type freighter with his Boomer family until they were ambushed by Orion pirates. His family was killed in the attack and the ship destroyed but Akinola's mother placed young Akinola and his sister in an escape pod and jettisoned them first. The pod was later picked up by a Border Service Cutter. When Akinola reached the age of 17, he enlisted as a crewman apprentice and has served on Border Cutters his entire adult life. I would envision someone like Morgan Freeman portraying Akinola.

The new Executive Officer, Commander Inga Strauss, is young, eager, and very much by-the-book. Only 30 years of age, she has been fast-tracked through the ranks due to the losses of senior officers and her own fierce drive to excel. She is highly competent but has problems with interpersonal relationships. She is pretty and very petite, which tends to make her overcompensate for her small stature by being aggressive. Commander Strauss is disapointed to be assigned as XO of a Border Service Cutter (to her, it's not the real StarFleet) but she is determined to be the best XO she can.

Other characters include Lt. Commander T'Ser, the Vulcan Operations Officer who embraces her emotions and is more of a people-person than Strauss, Lt. Commander Gralt, the crusty Tellarite Chief Engineer, Dr. Calvin Baxter, the 70 year old Chief Medical Officer who retired as an admiral at StarFleet Medical in Atlanta, then called in favors to gain a "useful berth" on the Bluefin as a Commander. Senior Chief Petty Officer Solly Brin is Chief of the Boat. A Red Orion male, he must use a pheremone suppressor to keep the females at bay. The overall ship's crew complement is 120.

The Bluefin performs duties similar to the U.S. Coast Guard - search & rescue, interdiction of smuggling, and a deterrence against Orion pirates, Klingon privateers and other unsavory types that ply the spaceways near the Badlands. We will encounter hard working boomers, idealistic colonists, and some new, sinister elements as well. The title, "Semper Paratus," refers to the Coast Guard motto, "Always Ready." Their unoffial slogan is "We have to go out - we don't have to come back." I hope to have the first chapter up in the next few days, so grab a seat by a view-port and hang on - the ion storms of the Badlands are pretty rough!

 

[CeJay]

I like the coast guard premise and your crew sounds fascinating. I maybe wouldn't expect so many high ranking officers on such a seemingly less significant assignment.

I'm looking forward to reading this.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Thanks! I thought about the ranking a good bit. Most Star Fleet vessels seem to have a full captain in command, regardless of size, so I went with that to be consistent. Plus, Captain Akinola is nearly 60 years of age. In the U.S. Coast Guard there are some larger cutters with four-stripers as C.O.s. On the USS Bluefin, there are two commanders, two lt. commanders, 5 lieutenants, 5 liutenants (j.g.) and 5 ensigns. The rest of the crew are non-coms and enlisted personnel. That's probably a smaller number of officers than on a regular Star Fleet vessel. Still, your point is well taken!

By the way, don't tell Captain Akinola that a border cutter is a less significant assignment! You'll see how he reacts to that very idea in an early installment.

 

[data68]

This sound interesting. I will read this.

 

[DavidFalkayn]

It's not at all out of line to have Akinola as a captain on the Bluefin. Intrepid-class ships have a crew complement of 150 and are commanded by a full captain. What's interesting is what type of captain is Akinola: one who just wants everything to go nice and smooth until he retires or is he another Charles Wilkes looking to go out with a bang by pulling his own version of the Trent Affair? As for Strauss, maybe she got someone angry to get her assigned to the Bluefin rather than an exploratory vessel?

Also, I could see a sort of rivalry developing between the Border Service and the regular arm of Starfleet along the same lines as that which exists between the USN and the USCG today with regular Starfleeters calling the Border Service people "Brown Water Sailors" etc.

I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

"Semper Paratus - Tales of the USS Bluefin"

1: "Welcome to the Badlands"

Commander Inga Strauss sat in the anteroom of Admiral Thran Pham's office on the fourth level of Starbase 42. She willed herself not to chew on her thumbnail - a personal weakness that she indulged when nervous - and instead, focused on the various items in the waiting room. Besides a taciturn Vulcan Yeoman, who was persusing a stack of data PADDs, there was the standard Philodendrum plant, a portrait of the USS Brisbane , the admiral's former command, and a few assorted landscape paintings. The walls were light grey, the carpet blue, and the waiting room chairs not quite uncomfortable. She glanced down at the PADD in her lap, the reason for her being here and the source of all that was wrong in her universe. She decided that standing might hasten the time of her appointment. She walked over to a large viewport from which she saw several Starfleet vessels and a crater-pocked moon around which the Starbase orbited. She regarded her reflection in the viewport. A pretty, petite human woman, barely 30 years of age stared back with piercing blue eyes, blonde hair neatly braided, and a brand new third gold pip on her uniform collar. For the millionth time, she wished she were taller.

Her reverie was interuppted by the Vulcan Yeoman. "Commander? Admiral Phan will see you now."

Strauss entered the admiral's office and stood rigidly at attention. "Commander Inga Strauss reporting," she said briskly. The admiral, a large Asian man in his late 50's, came around the desk and took Inga's right hand in both of his. "So formal, little one! The last time I saw you, you called me 'Uncle Thran.' Come, join me by the viewport and let's catch up."

Inga smiled, Admiral Phan had served with her late father, Captain Dieter Strauss, years earlier and they had been very close friends. Phan had known Inga all her life and had sponsored her entrance into the Academy after Dieter's death. "Thank you sir, but I don't think regulations allow me to refer to a rear-admiral as 'uncle'."

Admiral Phan took a seat by a small coffee table by the viewport and indicated for Inga to take the opposite chair. He poured tea from a china service and handed a cup to Inga. "Inga, in my office I can make my own regualtions." They spoke of family and happy times for a few moments, then the admiral said, "Inga, I know you did not come here just to re-live old times. What's on your mind."

Inga steeled herself, then handed Admiral Phan the PADD she carried. "Admiral, I am puzzled by my new orders. I had thought that I would be allowed to remain on the Thunderchild as first officer or perhaps be assigned to an explorer vessel. Now I learn that I'm being transferred to a border cutter!"

Phan regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Do you find these orders untenable?" he asked quietly.

"No sir! . . . no, it's just, well I thought I was doing a good job on the THunderchild after Commander T'Vel was killed and I took over as first officer. And I could understand having a more senior commander replace me and I return to being second officer. But to be assigned to a cutter? . . ."

"We like to refer to them as patrol frigates. Inga, you must know that I am the one who recommended your transfer." Phan saw the shocked look on Strauss' face and held up a hand. "Let me continue. You know very well that your position as first officer on the Thunderchild was provisional. Because of the war, we've promoted a lot of people much earlier than we ever would in peace-time. Inga, if it were not for the heavy losses, you would still be a lieutenant, maybe a lieutenant commander. Now we must place more senior officers that are coming off damaged or destroyed ships onto our front-line vessels. To be honest, you nearly lost your provisional rank of commander - not because of your performance but because of your youth. That's happening a lot now. This assignment as executive officer of the USS Bluefin will allow you to keep your rank as commander and give you some much needed experience."

Inga was still disappointed, but said, "I understand, sir, and I promise I will give it my very best!"

Admiral Phan smiled. "I know you will commander, that's why I pushed for this. Captain Akinola is one of the most experienced commanding officers in all of Starfleet, much less the border service. I know it may not seem exciting or adventurous to you, but the Border Service provides an invaluable service through search & rescue, maintaining subspace relay stations, and law enforcement. I understand the Bluefin is quite a capable little ship with a proud history. And I am confident that you will add to their distinguished exploits."

 

[Gibraltar]

You're off to a great start! And I very much like the era you've selected to explore, the immediate post-Dominion War period. Plenty of stories just begging to be told about that relatively unexplored period of Federation history.

 

[data68]

Excellent!

I like the characterization of Com. Strauss.

I will continue to read this series with great interest.

 

[CeJay]

Gibraltar said:
You're off to a great start! And I very much like the era you've selected to explore, the immediate post-Dominion War period. Plenty of stories just begging to be told about that relatively unexplored period of Federation history.

I can alredy hear him thinking how to incorparate the adventures of a small border cutter into the Gibraltar saga ...

Future plans aside this was a good start, giving us a great balance of necessary exposition and characterization. Those were some nice touches on Strauss.

I wonder if you will tell these tales from her persepctive ... it would prove interesting.

 

[Gibraltar]

CeJay said:

Gibraltar said:
You're off to a great start! And I very much like the era you've selected to explore, the immediate post-Dominion War period. Plenty of stories just begging to be told about that relatively unexplored period of Federation history.

I can alredy hear him thinking how to incorparate the adventures of a small border cutter into the Gibraltar saga ...

Future plans aside this was a good start, giving us a great balance of necessary exposition and characterization. Those were some nice touches on Strauss.

I wonder if you will tell these tales from her persepctive ... it would prove interesting.

Gosh, CeJay, you make me sound as ominous as the Collective. Need I remind you that you too, have become one... with the Gibraltar. Resistance is futile, but amusingly so.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Captain Joseph Akinola watched his adversary carefully and slipped into a defensive stance, his hands tightening into fists. His dark-red skinned opponent grinned a feral grin, then suddenly attacked with a snap-kick aimed at Akinola's knee. The captain swept his left arm down, deflecting the kick while stepping in to his opponent and launching a counter punch toward the other man's face. He stopped the punch a millimeter from the suprised man's face, then stepped back, bowed slightly to his opponent, and turned to a line of a dozen men and women dressed in Karate Ghis.

"Crewman Sanders, what did Chief Brin do wrong?" asked the captain.

Sanders, a freckle-faced Pharmacist's Mate grinned. "He took on a fourth degree black belt?"

Akinola rolled his eyes and snorted. "Sanders, you're hopeless. What about you Ensign Fralk? What did you observe?"

The Denobulan officer answered. "Chief Brin did not hide his weight transfer before kicking. If he had feinted with a punch, he would not have been so predictable."

"Good. Let that be a lesson to you all. Good form and precise movements are important for training purposes, but for actual hand-to-hand combat, you must mix things up. Predictability can get you killed, right Solly?"

Senior Chief Petty Officer Solly Brin gave his captain a mischievous look. "But skipper, you told me to go with the snap-kick so you could block it and impress your faithful students."

The captain looked at his senior chief. "Solly, why don't you go get a shower before I have you scrubbing the hull with a toothbrush . . . without an EV suit!"

The Red-Orion chief grabbed a towel from a stack. "Aye-aye, sir! Let me know the next time you need a target, I mean, sparring partner."

The captain shook his head, then addressed his students. "Okay, let's break into sparring groups, half-speed only! I don't want any bloody noses like last time. Remember, short linear movements. When you're fighting in close quarters, you don't have room or time for sweeping kicks or circular movement - economy of motion, folks!"

The ship's P.A. system interupted. "Captain Akinola - incoming message from the Kilimanjaro ."

Akinola moved to a communication panel on the wall of the ship's compact gym. "Akinola, acknowledged. Pipe it into my quarters, I'll take it there." He turned to the group of crewmen and officers. "Ensign Fralk, run them through the sparring exercise and focus on rising blocks and forearm blocks. Then run through some katas before cutting everyone loose."

"Aye, sir." said Fralk.

"Remember, half-speed!" Akinola warned as he headed into the corridor. He trotted to a ladder, bypassing the turbo-lift and went up two decks, then took a few short steps to his quarters. Inside, he picked up a towel and rubbed the sweat from his face before sitting at his desk and keying the screen. Instantly, the face of his old friend, Captain Vress appeared. Vress was Andorian and commander of the Border Services vessel, USS Kilimanjaro , an Everest class asteroid breaker/tug. Vress smiled and his antennae turned toward his screen. "Joseph, I'm glad to see you still try to keep up with your crew. You haven't put anyone in sickbay with your Karate lessons, have you?"

"Not lately, Vress. Now did you call to antagonize me or do you have our supplies?" asked Akinola with a bemused look.

Vress looked at a PADD. "Let's see . . . Medical supplies, repair parts for your transporter, hmmmm, Ah! Here's what you were wanting - 25 litres of cherry vanilla ice cream. I don't know how you humans can stand the stuff - it's so sweet!"

Akinola grinned. "Vress, you just don't know what's good. Thanks a million! I owe you for the ice cream."

"Joseph, when are you going to break down and put a food replicator on your ship. This is the 24th century, after all!"

"Vress, no replicator made can produce acceptable cherry vanilla ice cream. We also have the best cook in the Border Service!"

"You also have one of the only cooks in the service. But that's your business." said Vress.

"Do you have time to join in a game of Bridge? T'Ser and I would like a re-match against you and Lt. Delerioux." said Akinola.

Vress shook his head. "I regret that duty calls. We're due to clear some asteroids in sector 323. The governor of one of the system colonies has been complaining about navigational hazzards."

"You're just afraid that we'll take your money," countered Akinola. "We'll catch you next time, Captain Vress. Be safe!"

"Pleasant journeys, my friend. Kilimanjaro out."

Akinola stripped out of his Karate ghi, carefully folded his black belt, and stepped into the head and into the sonic shower. After cleaning his body and soothing his muscles through the gentle sonic vibration, he put on his duty uniform and stepped to the mirror. The reflection showed a dark-skinned human who did not look his 59 years of age, despite the grey sprinkled in his dark hair. Though not a particularly handsome man, he had a face that was dignified with serene, brown eyes. Somewhat taller than average, he maintained good physical condition through Karate training and a generally sensible diet (He does love his cherry vanilla ice cream!). Only the lines around his eyes betrayed the deep and sometimes sad experiences of his life.

His communicator beeped and he tapped the badge on his chest. "Akinola, go ahead."

"T'Ser, here. Just wanted you to know that the runabout, Colorado has requested permission to enter our landing bay. They have our new executive officer, Commander Strauss, on board."

"Very well. T'Ser, why don't you go down and meet our new XO, take her by her quarters, then bring her to my ready room. I'm heading to the bridge."

"Acknowledged. T'Ser, out."

*********************************************************

Commander Strauss was more than weary of travel on the space-worn runabout. It had creaked and rattled much of the 12 hour flight from Star Station Echo, where she had boarded following a week-long voyage from the Star Base on the USS Hyperion . Now, she craned her neck through the viewport to catch the first glimpse of the USS Bluefin . She was immediately intrigued with what she saw. The Bluefin had many of the classic features of Federation starship design - a circular primary hull with secondary engineering hull and two warp nacelles attached with pylons. She noticed that the primary saucer was somewhat small compared to the fairly long engineering hull. She was surprised to see that the impulse engines were very large relative to the overall size of the ship and that the support pylons for the nacelles were shorter and thicker than normative. She also noticed several prominent tractor beam nodes on the engineering hull that seemed large for the ship. She was somewhat disappointed to see that the ship lacked the Type X phaser arrays common on most capitol ships. Instead, there were three Type VIII turrets that were visible to her, plus a sinle torpedo launcer tube. The ship was painted bright white, a color that was more common to Starfleet vessels built in the early part of the century. Prominently painted on the hull, between twin lines of blue and orange, was the registry number, NCC-4458, and the name, USS Bluefin .

Strauss had spent some of her transit time perusing computer files about the ship. She had learned that she was an Albacore class Border Cutter (contrary to what the admiral said) that had been developed about the same time as the Excelsior and Constelltion class ships at the end of the 23rd century. The cutters were designed to be durable and strong with very powerful impulse engines, redundant shields and multiple tractor beams, allowing this ship class to not only survive but navigate ion storms while towing vessels in distress. They had been refit in the mid-24th century with extended landing bays to handle more and larger shuttle craft and runabouts. Top speed for this class vessel was warp 9 and normal sustained maximum was warp 8.5. Not fast by Starfleet standards, but much faster than commercial and most hostile vessels they would likely face. Originally, there were 18 Albacore class ships. Now, 8 were left in active service, the others retired, sold or destroyed.

As the runabout entered the hangar bay, Strauss closed her eyes and said quietly to herself, "Gott in Himmell - Please don't let me screw up!"

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

By the way, thanks for the kind comments regarding the first short installment. I look forward to comments and feedback on the second installment.

 

[Gibraltar]

A nice intro to the captain and ship. Now, did you make up this class of ship, or can you provide a link to an image of it? I'd be interested to see what it looks like.

 

[data68]

Way to set the tone for Akinola and how he relates to his crew.

I look forward to his first meeting with Strauss.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Gibraltar said:
A nice intro to the captain and ship. Now, did you make up this class of ship, or can you provide a link to an image of it? I'd be interested to see what it looks like.

My ship is inspired by a design by Lt.Carter who has posted on the Trek Art section of this forum. His Skipjack class USS Sculpin is similar to what I envision for the Bluefin . Here's a link:
Lt. Carter's USS Sculpin Pics

In my story, the Bluefin and her sister ships would be a variant of this type of ship. As you can see by the image, there is a family heritage with the Oberth class ships as seen in STII:TWOK and in several TNG episodes. Lt. Carter has done some great ship designs but the Sculpin is my personal favorite. His designation for the ship is "patrol frigate," so I had the admiral use that designation, although I prefer the term border cutter.

As to some of the Bluefin's specs and idiosyncrasies, well those are my ideas.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

data68 said:
Way to set the tone for Akinola and how he relates to his crew.

I look forward to his first meeting with Strauss.

Coming up next!

 

[DavidFalkayn]

A most auspicious beginning. I'm getting a good feel for the characters here and look forward to seeing how your story develops.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

As Commander Strauss disembarked from the runabout, her eyes first drifted to a large, cartoon-like painting on the wall of the hangar that portrayed a blue fish with a prominent dorsal fin holding a phaser rifle and having a very determined expression on his face. Circling the painting was the ship's registry and name followed by "Semper Paratus." Realizing there were were personnel waiting for her, she recovered and asked, "Permission to come aboard?"

A Vulcan female wearing the rank insignia of a lieutenant commander replied, "Granted." Then Strauss received a shock when the same Vulcan came forward, actually smiled and extended her hand in greeting. "Welcome aboard the Bluefin Commander Strauss. I'm Lt. Commander T'Ser, Operations officer."

Strauss was so surprised by such un-Vulcan-like behavior, that for a brief moment she almost did not respond. Fortunately, she quickly regained her poise and grasped the proffered hand, which was very warm, and received a firm handshake. "Thank you, commander."

T'ser continued, "Captain Akinola asked that I take you by your quarters first, then to meet him in his ready room. Do you require assistance with any personal belongings?"

Strauss patted the duffel bag on her shoulder. "No thanks, I travel light. Lead on, Commander T'Ser."

The two women entered a corridor off of the hangar deck and came to a turbo lift, which they entered. "Deck 3," said T'Ser. She turned to Strauss. "Your quarters are located on deck 3, on the port side. My quarters are also on deck 3 on the starboard side. The captain's quarters are on deck 4, forward. His ready room is off of the bridge which is, of course, deck one."

Strauss tried to commit to memory the locations as T'Ser listed them. They quickly came to deck 3 and headed around a curved corridor to the port side. The layout seemed normal to Strauss but the corridors were much narrower than she had experienced while serving on Akira and Galaxy class ships during the Dominion War. She decided to ask a question that was nagging her.

"Ms. T'Ser, forgive me if I'm prying, but your greeting and demeanor is different from any Vulcan I've ever encountered."

T'Ser smiled again. "I grew up in Seattle on Earth. My parents held views that most Vulcans considered to be quite liberal. They believed that the principle of IDIC should extend to all peoples - including Vulcans! They felt that the expression of emotions was a proper way of showing that Vulcans embrace diversity among themselves." Her voice revealed a trace of irony. "However, we found that most Vulcans, including my grandparents on both sides, did not share that view." T'Ser stopped at a doorway with a sign that said, "Executive Officer." Traces of another sign, recently removed, still remained. T'Ser continued. "Anyway, I grew up with two quite emotional Vulcan parents and spent my childhood on Earth - so here I am, a Vulcan that laughs, cries and cheats at cards. Scandalous, isn't it?" T'Ser punched a code, unlocking the door, which slid open.

To Commander Strauss, her new quarters reminded her of the junior officer quarters she inhabited aboard the USS Galaxy . The space was not generous - a single bed was along one wall with storage cabinets above and below. A desk with computer terminal was on the opposite wall. Against the far bulkhead was a small couch beneath a circular viewport. Beyond the desk was a doorway leading to a cramped head. Near to the hall door was a storage closet and a beverage servitor. Still, it suited Strauss' sensibilites. The space was efficient and looked comfortable. She always thought the large quarters on the Galaxy were better suited to a luxury starliner than a Starfleet vessel. "This will do nicely, Commander T'Ser." Another thought struck her. "By the way, what became of your previous executive officer - was he transferred?"

Strauss regretted the question when she saw the change in T'Ser's expression. The Vulcan's face became a mask and she placed her hands behind her back before speaking. "Our former XO, Commander Dale McBride, was killed two months ago during an operation against an Orion Raider."

"I'm sorry, I did not know," Strauss said simply.

"No, of course you didn't." T'Ser paused, considering, then continued. "Commander McBride was leading a boarding party when we disabled the Raider. We knew they were transporting slaves and our boarders were attempting to rescue the prisoners and secure the ship." T'Ser paused a moment and Strauss noticed that tears had formed in the Vulcan's eyes. "Dale found a space with several children in it . . . apparently, he turned to call for a medic to check them out when a ten year old Orion boy put a knife in his neck. Unfortunately, this happened before he had a chance to contact a medic. He bled out before he could be saved. If he had been found five minutes sooner . . . well." T'Ser stopped, took a breath, then smiled again. "We better get you to the bridge. The captain is expecting you."

********************************

The bridge of the Bluefin was of traditional design - round with various stations, a central viewscreen, and the command chair in the middle of it all. It was more compact than other bridges in Strauss' experience, but seemed efficient with a logical layout. A Bolian lieutenant manned the center chair when Strauss and T'Ser came onto the bridge from the turbo-lift. T'Ser indicated the doorway to the Ready Room. "The captain is in there. Please let me know if I can help you get settled in," said T'Ser.

Strauss, still feeling badly for opening old wounds, replied, "I appreciate the hospitality you've shown me. And I'm sorry for bringing up unpleasant memories."

"No apologies necessary, Commander. And while the incident itself was a tragedy, we have many good memories of Commander McBride. I will probably see you again soon." She inclined her head and re-entered the lift. Strauss took another look around the bridge. The Bolian lieutenant was engrossed with a PADD and the four other bridge personnel all seemed occupied with their stations. She walked to the doorway to the Ready Room, took a breath, and pressed the enunciator.

"Come!" came the deep voice of the captain. Strauss stepped forward and the door slid open.

The captain's ready room was (as was becoming the norm) smaller than she had seen before. It was also very interesting. Numerous wood carvings of ships and people were on shelves and in display cases. The ships caught her eye because of the intricate detail. Several were of ancient sailing ships and were inside bottles. On a small table, in a place of prominence, was a highly detailed model of the Bluefin carved from beautifully grained wood, very light in color that nearly glowed with a glossy sheen. And, rising from behind an antique wooden desk, was Captain Joseph B. Akinola.

"Commander Strauss, welcome aboard! It is nice to finally meet you." He walked around and extended a hand in greeting. He was much taller than Strauss, so she practically came to attention and raised up slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Thank you, sir. It's good to finally be here. It was a long journey from Starbase 42."

"Yes, hopefully you can get a chance to rest up later. First, I want to go over a few things together, then give you a chance to meet the senior officers. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Certainly, sir."

"Good! Please have a seat." Akinola indicated a comfortable looking leather chair. He resumed his seat behind his desk, leaned back and steepled his fingers. For a few moments, he simply regarded Strauss without saying anything. Strauss began to get nervous but she managed not to show it. Finally, Akinola spoke.

"I understand you are not exactly thrilled to be on the Bluefin , commander."

Strauss was shocked. "Sir, how . . . why do you say that?"

"I spoke to Admiral Phan about you. He spoke highly of you in several ways and considers you a very capable officer," said Akinola.

Strauss could feel her face flush, and she was beginning to get angry. "Sir, with all due respect, that was a private conversation. The admiral should not have shared with you what we discussed - especially with you, considering the circumstances!"

Akinola regarded her with a calm gaze. "Admiral Phan did not tell me you had reservations about serving on a border cutter. You just did."

Strauss was speechless for a moment and very confused. She composed herself quickly, however, and spoke with measured tones. "Captain Akinole, I do not understand. Are you saying the admiral did not reveal my conversation with him to you? I apologize, but I don't understand what's going on right now."

Akinola smiled and held up a hand. "At ease, commander. And please, take weapons off-line. No, admiral Phan did not discuss any conversations the two of you had. I did contact him about you and, as I already said, he spoke highly of you."

"Then, sir, how did you know I have reservations about serving on this ship?" asked Strauss.

"Oh, that's pretty simple. You are a young, up-and-comer - first in your class at the Academy, won a boat-load of academic awards, qualified for the Olympic trials in gymnastics, you've served on some of the better known ships of the line, and you've served with distinction and bravery during the war. Why would someone with your credentials want to serve on a Border Service cutter in the backwater systems fighting smugglers, tending marker buoys, and rescuing the occasional boomer on a 70 year old ship?"

Strauss had a look of chagrin on her face. "I have to admit, I was not happy when I first received my orders." She looked up quickly and said with determination, "But I will serve you and this ship to the best of my abilities."

Akinola leaned forward, matching the intensity of her gaze. "Just so you understand, Commander, the Border Service is not the poor step-child of Starfleet. We have a hard, often tedious, sometimes dangerous mission out here. This crew trains hard, works hard, and likes to play hard, too. We need an XO that will work with us, not against us by looking for the first ticket out on a Sovereign . Do I make myself clear?"

Strauss, her gaze not wavering, replied, "Perfectly clear, sir. I will do my best - on that you have my word. I intend to work my butt off. I'm not out here to make friends or look for a cushy assignment. I'm here because I've got a job to do, sir, and other consideratins be damned!" with that, Strauss sat back in her chair, arms crossed, daring the captain to respond.

Akinola maintained his stare for a few more moments, then began to nod his head slowly. "You'll do, XO. You'll do just fine."

At that moment, Akinola's termnal chimed and a voice came over the speaker. "Captain to the bridge, I repeat, Captain to the bridge."

A look of concern mixed with aggravation crossed Akinola's face. He quickly pressed a button and replied, "Akinola here - this better be important!"

"Sir!" the voice said, "We're picking up a signal from a disaster buoy - it's from the Kilimanjaro !

Akinola looked up sharply at Strauss. "Acknowledged! Set course for the position of the buoy - maximum warp! I'm on the way." He stood and motioned to Strauss to follow. "You're with me, commander. Time to earn our pay."

 

[DavidFalkayn]

I liked how you brought out an important point: Crews on ships such as the Bluefin do have a strong sense of esprit d' corps which comes from the fact that they are often thought of as being the "poorer relations" by those assigned to the more "glamorous" posts; when in fact they're the ones who do the grungy, hard jobs that have to be done.

And now, we'll get to see them earn their pay

 

[CeJay]

I really enjoyed the interplay between Strauss and Akinola here. The captain is clearly a veteran and perceptive too. He knew his new XO before she ever even stepped through the door.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing your first plot elements develop.