Proper Introductions

Posted on Tue Jul 4th, 2023 @ 7:10am by Lieutenant JG Matthew Cowley & Captain Elena Navarra & Commander Henry Perry
Edited on on Thu Jul 6th, 2023 @ 7:40am

930 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Rescue
Location: Starbase 109
Timeline: MD 1, 1630

Captain Elena Navarra sat in her spacious office aboard the Starbase, her eyes fixed on the flickering wall-sized viewscreen displaying the latest reports. One thing Elena noticed since living on the starbase was the lack of the warp engine hum. She missed how that hum used to resonate through a room, a constant reminder of their mission to explore. As she studied the personnel files, a thought crossed her mind. It was time to cash in on Commander Perry's offer of a tour of U.S.S. Samurai. Navarra remembered seeing the vessel on the base's docked vessel listing, but wasn't sure why it was there, and why it never left its berth.

Captain Navarra tapped a few commands into her in-desk console. She opened a communication channel and initiated a call with Commander Henry Perry, the seasoned officer in charge of the ship's operations. Within moments, Commander Perry's face appeared on the view screen, his expression a mix of curiosity and respect.

"Captain Navarra, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" he asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

"Well, Commander," Elena said with a bit of excitement, "I do recall you mentioning that I could get a personal tour of Samurai, and I was hoping that you had some free time to make good on your offer."

Commander Perry's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the captain's request. However, he quickly composed himself and responded, "Of course, Captain. I would be honored to give you a tour of our ship. Samurai is a marvel of engineering, and I'm certain you'll find it both impressive and enlightening, plus I can read you in on the classified bits and bobs you may not have caught up on."

A smile touched Captain Navarra's lips, grateful for Commander Perry's willingness to guide her through the vessel. "Thank you, Commander. Please make the necessary arrangements and let me know when you're ready. I'll meet you at the dock momentarily."

A short time later, Captain Navarra arrived at the docking port, where Commander Perry awaited her. Henry stood tall, his uniform crisp, a beacon of professionalism. As he approached, Captain Navarra extended her hand in greeting.

"Commander Perry, I appreciate you finding the time to give me a personal tour of Samurai," Elena said as Henry accepted her handshake. "There has always been something about the Sovereign class that just called out to me," the Captain said as she marveled at the vessel through the window. "How did you come to be the commander of Samurai?"

"Please, call me Henry.," the engineer said as he joined Elena in looking at his starship. "You know, there was a point in time when there wasn't much left of the ship."

Elena sensed a change of emotion from her tour soon-to-be guide and looked over at him. She found Henry with his head down, instantly recognizing the emotion he was feeling. Regret.

"What happened?" she asked, although she already knew some of the story of the infamous last battle of U.S.S. Samurai that was released by Starfleet command. All she knew was that the ship was ambushed by Romulans, and the science officer Riko McCord was able to save the crew, although the ship suffered from extensive damage.

Henry raised his head and looked back at Samurai. Memories flowed through his mind of the pain he felt from losing friends. "Well, I think you already know what happened. At least the part that Starfleet released to the public." Henry turned his gaze over to Elena. "The rest is classified, I'm afraid."

"I've been read in on the mission specifics. Part of the luxury of being Captain," Elena said as she placed her hand on Henry's shoulder and let it sit there for a moment. "Loss of friends and colleagues is part of the business of risk that we Starfleet Officers sign up for. But that same loss can break us in unimaginable ways. I am sorry for your loss."

Henry smiled and gathered himself. He squared his shoulders and pulled at the bottom of his uniform. "Thank you, Captain."

"Before we start the tour, I do have one question." Elena asked. "How did you manage to get Samurai here without a Captain? I mean, I understand that you are actually in command of her while she is here in station, but you would have had to work some kind of magic for this to happen!"

The engineer looked over at the Captain and a smile returned to his face. "Well, that is the luxury of being a former Utopia Planitia ship builder. See, when I was there, I was in charge of experimental technologies and deciding which class of ships had the latest and greatest of tech. So, after Samurai was towed back to spacedock, I asked her to be given to me as a vessel that could constantly test new technologies while maintaining her standard tech."

Navarra looked at the Commander with a confused look on her face. "But wouldn't there be a conflict with all the various systems of technology?"

"Not like you would think," Henry responded. "I think it would be better if I showed you. Let's start the tour, and I'll show you what I mean."

"I think that would be wonderful. Do you mind if we start at the bridge?" Elena asked with a child-like grin on her face.

Matthew was more interested than he thought he'd be. Maybe it was his boss's enthusiasm, but he sensed she had something going on that she hadn't shared with him yet.

 

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