Inspired by some of the fine fanfiction around these parts and remembering a concept that I once postulated, a year or more ago, I sat down yesterday and began writing the first chunk of a story.
The story involves Starfleet discovering that the Excalibur is missing (due to events seen in "Double Time") and dispatching a new ship, the Albion, and a new crew, commanded by Captain Margaret Sawyer, to investigate and take over duties in Sector 221 G until the Excalibur is discovered or until they are replaced.
I hope the eventual story - possibly the first in a potential series - will come in at about the same length as one of the first four Star Trek New Frontier novels.
I have guessed at the stardate - if someone with access to "Double Time" is able to provide me with the stardate of the pre-time jump segments, I can change the stardate.
Stardate 51927.2
Captain Margaret Sawyer stood at the window of the shuttlecraft Chawla and looked out at the starships that were cradled in their docks, trying to pinpoint her first command, the Albion.
Kida, her Chief Engineer, hung next to her with her tail swaying gently back and forth. Kida, or Kidahnet Irann’tor, a Xindi Aquatic, visually reminded Sawyer of an Earth cetacean and moved around using a complicated zero-gravity harness.
Sawyer wasn’t an engineer, she didn’t pretend to understand the engineering that was involved in creating the harness.
“There,” said Kida, her voice breathless, “she is. The Albion … beautiful … is she not ?”
Sawyer saw the ship. Albion was a Cheyenne Class vessel and therefore not one of the latest ships off the production line, the class was near two decades old and could trace design lineage from the Constellation Class vessels of one hundred years earlier. With four warp nacelles, two above the saucer and two below, and no secondary hull, the design was distinctive and, Sawyer admitted, beautiful.
“That she is,” agreed Sawyer with a nod. Sawyer herself was older than most Captains, she had been in Starfleet since before the Cheyenne Class vessel was a glimmer in its designers eye. She had been in Starfleet since the Ambassador Class were the pride of Starfleet and had served on the first of that line, the USS Ambassador, itself as a Helm Officer.
Now, after forty years in Starfleet including several on detachment with the diplomatic corps, she had gained her first command and it, and the crew she had assembled, were going to do her proud.
“Captain,” Kida interrupted her reverie. “Albion … is hailing …”
Sawyer nodded.
“Put it through, Commander.”
“Bonjour, Mon Capitan,” the voice belonged to her new First Officer, Lt Commander Luc Canet. Canet was in his twenties, devastatingly handsome and charismatic and, as luck would have it, also dating Sawyers daughter. “You are cleared for docking in Shuttlebay Deux …”
Sawyer forced herself to smile. She had accepted Canet as her First Officer because he was the best candidate for the job, not because he was dating her daughter. She had considered refusing him for that reason, but felt she could not because he was the best candidate for the job.
At least, this way, she had decided, she could keep an eye on Canet and would know what sort of son-in-law she might be getting. Though, Sawyer wondered, whether it would be her or Canet who regretted the assignment first.
“Thankyou, Luc,” Sawyer replied. “I’ll see you in five minutes.”
The channel closed and Sawyer resumed her pondering of the beautiful spaceship that hung before them as the Chawla circled around her saucer section and approached the starboard shuttlebay, Shuttlebay Two. The nacelle pylons rose above and descended below the viewport of the shuttlecraft and made Sawyer feel very small in comparison.
A minute later, the Chawla had touched down and the rear door of the shuttle lowered, revealing the interior of the shuttlebay beyond and several cargo containers pushed up against the walls. Sawyer recognised the four Starfleet officers waiting for her, two in medical blue and two, including Canet, in command red.
Kida came to Sawyer’s side with a flick of her tail as Canet approached, a smile on his face.
“Capitan,” he said, offered her his hand which she took and shook warmly. “And our Chief Engineer. Kida …” He nodded to the engineer. “If you’d permit me to introduce you to your command crew …”
First, Canet indicate the other officer in command red, a good looking blonde woman, Lieutenant Commander Pamela McKnight. McKnight was fresh from a tour of duty on the USS Enterprise and had come highly recommended from Captain Jean Luc Picard. She would be Second Officer and CONN Officer on the Albion, piloting the vessel and taking command when both Canet and Sawyer were unavailable or incapacitated.
Next, Sawyer was introduced to a brown eyed youth fresh from Starfleet Academy with the familiar nose ridges and small religious earring of a Bajoran. This, she knew, was her Science Officer, Ensign Dex Joaquin. Dex, for it was Bajoran tradition that the family name came first, had just graduated from the top of his class at Starfleet Academy with excellent grades in the sciences and engineering. She could be taking a risk giving him such a potentially challenging position, but she was sure that he was capable of the job.
“You going to do me proud, kid?” Sawyer asked.
Dex nodded, smiled a broad toothy smile and nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
The last person, the second officer wearing science blue, Lieutenant Aster, the ships Chief Medical Officer. Like Dex, Aster looked superficially Human, but for the purple colouring of her skin and the ears that reminded Sawyer of those of an Earth animal known as a kangaroo. Aster was, Sawyer knew, half-Human and half-Huanni, a race known for being a polar opposite to the Vulcans – a race which embraced emotions, becoming counsellors or medical practitioners, artists or musicians. Aster, after being brought up on a colony world composed of dozens of different species, had grown up to be one of the best medical practitioners in Starfleet. Sawyer considered herself lucky to have signed the woman on.
“We’re missing one …” said Sawyer once she had greeted Doctor Archer. “Where’s Mister Barnaby?”
Canet exchanged a look with McKnight, but said nothing. McKnight just shrugged.
“Barnaby is very devoted to his duties, Capitan,” said Canet. “I’m sure he means no insult to you by his absence, he must have been needed elsewhere for something …”
“I’m sure,” replied Sawyer. “Now, how soon can we leave dock, Commander? I’ve always found hanging out in dock really boring. I can’t wait to get out … there …”
Sawyer gestured towards space, visible beyond the forcefield that was holding the atmosphere in. Canet ran some numbers in his head, considering his options before replying.
“If Commander Kida agrees on the status of the engines, we should be able to ship out whenever you wish, Capitan ..."
Sawyer nodded.
“Then Kida, I think you’ve got some engines to inspect,” said Sawyer and the cetacean engineer flicked her tail and went sailing past Sawyer towards the door which opened upon her approach with a “Yes … Ma’am …” floating back towards Sawyer.
Sawyer regarded the four senior officers that remained in front of her and smiled. She really did have a good feeling about this bunch. Now, if only she could find Lieutenant Barnaby, her wayward Security Chief.
The story involves Starfleet discovering that the Excalibur is missing (due to events seen in "Double Time") and dispatching a new ship, the Albion, and a new crew, commanded by Captain Margaret Sawyer, to investigate and take over duties in Sector 221 G until the Excalibur is discovered or until they are replaced.
I hope the eventual story - possibly the first in a potential series - will come in at about the same length as one of the first four Star Trek New Frontier novels.
I have guessed at the stardate - if someone with access to "Double Time" is able to provide me with the stardate of the pre-time jump segments, I can change the stardate.
CHAPTER ONE
Stardate 51927.2
Captain Margaret Sawyer stood at the window of the shuttlecraft Chawla and looked out at the starships that were cradled in their docks, trying to pinpoint her first command, the Albion.
Kida, her Chief Engineer, hung next to her with her tail swaying gently back and forth. Kida, or Kidahnet Irann’tor, a Xindi Aquatic, visually reminded Sawyer of an Earth cetacean and moved around using a complicated zero-gravity harness.
Sawyer wasn’t an engineer, she didn’t pretend to understand the engineering that was involved in creating the harness.
“There,” said Kida, her voice breathless, “she is. The Albion … beautiful … is she not ?”
Sawyer saw the ship. Albion was a Cheyenne Class vessel and therefore not one of the latest ships off the production line, the class was near two decades old and could trace design lineage from the Constellation Class vessels of one hundred years earlier. With four warp nacelles, two above the saucer and two below, and no secondary hull, the design was distinctive and, Sawyer admitted, beautiful.
“That she is,” agreed Sawyer with a nod. Sawyer herself was older than most Captains, she had been in Starfleet since before the Cheyenne Class vessel was a glimmer in its designers eye. She had been in Starfleet since the Ambassador Class were the pride of Starfleet and had served on the first of that line, the USS Ambassador, itself as a Helm Officer.
Now, after forty years in Starfleet including several on detachment with the diplomatic corps, she had gained her first command and it, and the crew she had assembled, were going to do her proud.
“Captain,” Kida interrupted her reverie. “Albion … is hailing …”
Sawyer nodded.
“Put it through, Commander.”
“Bonjour, Mon Capitan,” the voice belonged to her new First Officer, Lt Commander Luc Canet. Canet was in his twenties, devastatingly handsome and charismatic and, as luck would have it, also dating Sawyers daughter. “You are cleared for docking in Shuttlebay Deux …”
Sawyer forced herself to smile. She had accepted Canet as her First Officer because he was the best candidate for the job, not because he was dating her daughter. She had considered refusing him for that reason, but felt she could not because he was the best candidate for the job.
At least, this way, she had decided, she could keep an eye on Canet and would know what sort of son-in-law she might be getting. Though, Sawyer wondered, whether it would be her or Canet who regretted the assignment first.
“Thankyou, Luc,” Sawyer replied. “I’ll see you in five minutes.”
The channel closed and Sawyer resumed her pondering of the beautiful spaceship that hung before them as the Chawla circled around her saucer section and approached the starboard shuttlebay, Shuttlebay Two. The nacelle pylons rose above and descended below the viewport of the shuttlecraft and made Sawyer feel very small in comparison.
A minute later, the Chawla had touched down and the rear door of the shuttle lowered, revealing the interior of the shuttlebay beyond and several cargo containers pushed up against the walls. Sawyer recognised the four Starfleet officers waiting for her, two in medical blue and two, including Canet, in command red.
Kida came to Sawyer’s side with a flick of her tail as Canet approached, a smile on his face.
“Capitan,” he said, offered her his hand which she took and shook warmly. “And our Chief Engineer. Kida …” He nodded to the engineer. “If you’d permit me to introduce you to your command crew …”
First, Canet indicate the other officer in command red, a good looking blonde woman, Lieutenant Commander Pamela McKnight. McKnight was fresh from a tour of duty on the USS Enterprise and had come highly recommended from Captain Jean Luc Picard. She would be Second Officer and CONN Officer on the Albion, piloting the vessel and taking command when both Canet and Sawyer were unavailable or incapacitated.
Next, Sawyer was introduced to a brown eyed youth fresh from Starfleet Academy with the familiar nose ridges and small religious earring of a Bajoran. This, she knew, was her Science Officer, Ensign Dex Joaquin. Dex, for it was Bajoran tradition that the family name came first, had just graduated from the top of his class at Starfleet Academy with excellent grades in the sciences and engineering. She could be taking a risk giving him such a potentially challenging position, but she was sure that he was capable of the job.
“You going to do me proud, kid?” Sawyer asked.
Dex nodded, smiled a broad toothy smile and nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
The last person, the second officer wearing science blue, Lieutenant Aster, the ships Chief Medical Officer. Like Dex, Aster looked superficially Human, but for the purple colouring of her skin and the ears that reminded Sawyer of those of an Earth animal known as a kangaroo. Aster was, Sawyer knew, half-Human and half-Huanni, a race known for being a polar opposite to the Vulcans – a race which embraced emotions, becoming counsellors or medical practitioners, artists or musicians. Aster, after being brought up on a colony world composed of dozens of different species, had grown up to be one of the best medical practitioners in Starfleet. Sawyer considered herself lucky to have signed the woman on.
“We’re missing one …” said Sawyer once she had greeted Doctor Archer. “Where’s Mister Barnaby?”
Canet exchanged a look with McKnight, but said nothing. McKnight just shrugged.
“Barnaby is very devoted to his duties, Capitan,” said Canet. “I’m sure he means no insult to you by his absence, he must have been needed elsewhere for something …”
“I’m sure,” replied Sawyer. “Now, how soon can we leave dock, Commander? I’ve always found hanging out in dock really boring. I can’t wait to get out … there …”
Sawyer gestured towards space, visible beyond the forcefield that was holding the atmosphere in. Canet ran some numbers in his head, considering his options before replying.
“If Commander Kida agrees on the status of the engines, we should be able to ship out whenever you wish, Capitan ..."
Sawyer nodded.
“Then Kida, I think you’ve got some engines to inspect,” said Sawyer and the cetacean engineer flicked her tail and went sailing past Sawyer towards the door which opened upon her approach with a “Yes … Ma’am …” floating back towards Sawyer.
Sawyer regarded the four senior officers that remained in front of her and smiled. She really did have a good feeling about this bunch. Now, if only she could find Lieutenant Barnaby, her wayward Security Chief.
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