Ship's Business, Part 3: What's Our Heading?

Posted on Tue Feb 14th, 2023 @ 10:14am by Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Commander John Stryker II & Lieutenant Thraxina

839 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Rendezvous At Starbase 10
Location: Starbase 10: Promenade
Timeline: M2 MD04 (2268.6.06) 1335

"It's rather odd for a CMO to be Second Officer of a Starship, isn't it Captain?" asked Thraxina, who was from a society where medics were usually Troglodytes, rather like the healer slaves of Aesop and Galen's time, rather than the gods of modern society. It was precisely why, when she needed medical advice, she tended to head for the combat medic, Stardancer. She knew her place!

"Except Dr. Kitchner has more experience than most of the senior staff combined," Tristan explained , "He and my father served together and he was most recently the chief of staff of the premier military hospital on Earth."

"I'm no expert but my experience tells me that an experienced man is far and away better than a simply qualified man. Qualifications are trumped by experience every time, at least that's how I see it, Captain" Stryker offered, knowing that his views on such things would be accepted by most experienced men, well before most qualified men.

"Well, hopefully our small Conn team [by which she meant skipper, navigation an helm] has a good combination of experience and expertise." Thraxina smiled pleasantly.

"They don't call me 'Wrong Way Styker' for nothing." He joked, not sure of how that would go over, but he had been navigating for a number of years.

The Captain chuckled at that, "Well I was a navigator until six months ago, so I will be keeping my eye on the Astrogator then," he joked. "In all seriousness, I'm glad to have an experienced navigator back aboard ship," he said, "I had to get us back here myself."

"Well Sir, I have always said, once a navigator, always a navigator, because they never let me do anything else," Stryker said with a straight face.

"Ah who knows, there are always opportunities for command positions, who knows what the future holds," Tristan responded, "But of course you'll still be stuck being a navigator. I was as an executive officer for four years."

Because Stryker was four years older than the Captain, and two ranks lower, Thraxina felt this area of conversation might be somewhat uncomfortable for one or both men, so she abruptly changed it.

"Will there be any navigational issues on our next mission?" she asked.

"Say what? Stryker asked, seemingly offended. "Hey, I was only joking about the 'Wrong Way Stryker' thing.' Honest Lieutenant, I' really have done this before." He looked at the Captain and back to Thraxina. "Seriously I doubt there will be any issues navigating at all. Why would there be?" Granted, he thought, that there might be some differences in age or grade or even experience, Faust was the Captain, and his job was to follow orders and Navigate the ship according to the Captain's direction. He did understand her thinking though.

"No, I meant will there be any problems with the route? Do we have to avoid any difficult interstellar phenomena?!" she explained, trying not to roll her eyes.

In short, she was, in a circular way, asking where they were going.

Somewhat embarrassed, Stryker added nothing, nor did he try to rectify his faux pas, instead he looked to the man that had that answer, they would not be at Starbase Ten forever, and there would be a mission for them to go on, or complete. Thought of what he had heard, the last mission was completed.

The Captain looked at them and signed. "To Nimbus III," he finally responded, "You'll find out more soon but we're to transport the Federation delegate for an extremely important diplomatic mission under the Organian Peace Treaty."

John nodded as he absorbed the information, Nimbus III was unknown to him, so listening was the priority going forward. Laying in the course would be academic, it was what was along the way that would be most important.

He had star charts in his quarters which he would go over as soon as the evening's events were concluded, and they would answer some of his questions but not the answers the Captain would give when the time came. "Thank you, Sir."

Thraxina had certainly heard of the place.

"Nimbus III? The Planet of Galactic Peace? Oh, it is supposed to be beautiful there!" she smiled "I hope we all get some shore leave down there, Captain."

At least, that was what Federation Colony Building Commission said about the planet, and they would never lie.

"I've read the survey reports Lieutenant," Tristan responded with a sigh, "I don't think you're going to want to take shoreleave down there, but I will let you decide when we get there."

Stryker wanted to snicker, as what the Captain had to offer did not exactly bode well for shore leave. What that was, he knew they all would find out soon enough, so he had nothing to add.

"Well this has been a productive meeting," the Captain added, "I don't want to take up anymore of your shore leave as it may be awhile until we see any more."

 

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