Personal log, stardate 62928.8:
It has been nearly a week since my rescue
from captivity by the Min on Erma, and with the help of Doctor MacMillan and
his staff, I have fully recovered, physically.
And it’s good to be back home aboard the Dauntless, yet
strange that she’s not my ship anymore.
Meanwhile, messages of congratulations have
been coming in from all over the Federation… and beyond.
“I was ready to kill
Sue when she handed me the communiqué,” Commander Michelle Petersen’s image
said on the recorded message. “I yelled
at her it wasn’t funny to joke around like that! But then I received your message. It’s true!
You’re alive!” A tear made its
way down the USS McAuliffe security
chief’s cheek. “Don’t you EVER do that
to me again! I wish I could be there
with you, but we’re so far beyond Federation space it would take months to get
back. I’ll contact you again when the McAuliffe is close enough to send a
direct transmission, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Until then, remember, I love you!”
“I love you too,”
Koester said to the screen as the monitor blinked back to the image of the
Federation emblem before turning a blank black.
He then got up from behind the desk in the VIP quarters he had been
assigned and stepped over to the nearby replicator and ordered a vanilla cola,
carrying the glass over to the couch near the exterior windows, and sat down to
continue catching up on news, events and log entries that occurred during his
nine month absence.
There had been
many changes aboard the Dauntless in
the time he was gone. Most notable was
the fact his sixteen year old daughter, Gem, had moved into a stateroom of her
own that she shared with the ship’s joined-Trill counselor and had qualified
the helm watch, occasionally replacing the normal helm officer on the bridge
during routine missions. Upon his
return, Koester had expected Gem would move into the temporary quarters the
captain had been assigned until they reached Earth, but Gem had made it known
she preferred to remain where she was, enjoying her relative independence
instead of moving back under her ‘father’s roof.’
“Bridge to
Captain Koester,” said the voice of his former first officer and the current
commander of the Dauntless, Captain
K’danz. Koester put down the padd he had
been reading from and tapped his combadge.
“Yes, Carrie?”
“Request your
presence on the bridge, Peter.”
“I’m on my way,”
Koester replied before placing his soda glass on the table in front of him and,
grabbing his duty uniform jacket off a nearby chair and slipping it on, headed
out the door of his quarters.
Space,
the Final Frontier…
These
are the voyages of the starship Dauntless!
Star Trek:
Dauntless
“You Only Live Twice” By PJK
(With apologies to Ian Fleming)
Captain Koester
emerged on the bridge of the USS
Dauntless, stepping over to where K’danz stood near the command chair. He found himself running his hand over the
headrest of the chair before clasping his hands behind his back. On the viewscreen another vessel, a near
mirror-image of the Sovereign-class starship, maneuvered close to the Dauntless at impulse speed.
“The
“On screen,
Monster,” K’danz ordered.
The main viewer
changed from the image of deep space to a similar looking bridge with a
distinguished looking, bald human standing at its center.
“Welcome home,
Peter,” said Captain Jean-Luc Picard warmly.
“I was amazed when I received the news.
You must tell me the whole story of your captivity at the next captain’s
table.”
“Thank you,
Jean-Luc. I still can’t believe I’m
back. It all still feels like a dream,”
Koester admitted. “What brings the
Federation flagship all the way out here?
Certainly not just to escort us?”
“I would be what
brings the Federation flagship all the way out here,” answered a husky female
voice from off screen before Admiral Kathryn Janeway stepped up next to
Picard. “When I heard you were coming
back to us from the dead, I had to be here to welcome you home personally. I also need to discuss some serious concerns
with both you and Captain K’danz.”
Koester turned
around to look at K’danz and could tell by the look in her eyes she was
thinking the same thing he was before she took several steps forward, standing
next to Koester.
“We weren’t
expecting you, Admiral. If you give us
some time, I’m sure we can arrange a proper reception in 10-Forward…”
“That won’t be
necessary,” Janeway interrupted, holding up one hand. “We’ll save the celebrations for once we
reach
“Understood,”
K’danz replied. “We’re ready to beam you
aboard at your convenience.”
“I’ll see you in
a few minutes,” Janeway said, and stepped out of the viewer image, leaving
Picard alone. Captain Picard tried to
smile slightly, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he again addressed Captain
Koester.
“Once again,
Peter, welcome home. Let me know if
there is anything I can do for you.”
“Thanks,
Jean-Luc,” Koester replied.
Picard nodded
before saying, “
“Colonel, would
you please see that Admiral Janeway is beamed safely aboard and escort her up
to the conference lounge?”
“Right away,
Captain,” the Marine officer replied before turning his post over to a
subordinate and disappearing into the nearby turbolift. K’danz then stepped over to her command chair
and touched the intercom.
“All department
heads please report to the conference lounge in ten minutes,” she ordered.
*
* * *
Several minutes
later the conference room behind the bridge was filled with people as first
officer Commander Tom Paris, chief science officer Commander Alasdair Wallace,
chief medical officer Doctor Justin MacMillan, Ship’s Counselor Tanzia Gera,
chief of operations Lt Commander Setton To’Lock Arbelo, chief engineer Lt
Commander Dar, chief of the boat Command Master Chief Pono Kyman and Captains
K’danz and Koester gathered inside. Most
of the crew took their usual seats around the table, but both Koester and
K’danz stood, the former CO near the display case filled with models of
Federation starships named Dauntless
while the current CO stood near the windows overlooking the aft portions of the
starship, standing behind her half-Klingon husband’s chair. Neither felt comfortable taking the seat at
the head of the table.
A moment later,
one of the sets of doors opened and admitted Admiral Kathryn Janeway, escorted
by Colonel McIntyre, who moved to the far side of the room. Janeway immediately embraced her former
shipmate and protégé.
“Welcome home,
Peter,” the admiral greeted. As she
released the recently rescued officer,
“Good to see you
again, Admiral,” the first officer said, offering his hand, which Janeway
squeezed.
“Good to see you
again too, Tom.” She then looked at the
gathered crew. Chief Kyman stood to
offer his seat to the admiral as she started her brief, but Janeway, saying
what she had to say would not take long, turned the El-Aurian man’s offer down
and simply started by saying, “I’m sure you all join me in welcoming Captain
Koester back to our family. However, as
I’m sure you are all aware, his return has caused some complications for
Starfleet Command.” Janeway turned to
look at Koester, who remained near the display case. “The Admiralty has been trying to figure out
what to do with you ever since they got word you’re alive. Several admirals, and I’m among them, want
you back in command.” Janeway then first
glanced over toward the empty seat at the head of the conference table before
looking at K’danz. “But obviously the Dauntless can’t have two captains.”
Koester and
K’danz exchanged looks across the breadth of the room. The look lingered for several seconds before
Koester finally took a step toward the admiral.
“It wouldn’t be
fair to Carrie to have to accept a demotion just because I’ve come back from
the dead. She’s been commander of this
ship for almost a year now. Obviously
she’s done a good job and had earned the trust and respect of the entire
crew. Heck, she even got my daughter off
her lazy butt and got her qualified a bridge watch!” He looked back at K’danz again, who smiled
warmly at him for what he had said.
“Maybe you should all just pretend I didn’t come back, so to speak. Maybe it’s time I left Starfleet for
good? Settle down somewhere?” Now K’danz’s expression turned to one of
horror.
“No!” she
exclaimed. “I’ll resign my commission
before I let you leave Starfleet again!
Your place is here! What did you
tell me before we returned to the Dauntless
five years ago? This was your first,
best destiny!”
“But Carrie…”
“No buts! I won’t let…”
“Excuse me!”
Both captains
looked mollified as they turned their attention to Admiral Janeway, who looked
back and forth at the both of them.
“I can see
figuring this out isn’t going to be easy.
Why don’t we just celebrate the fact that Peter is back, and we’ll work
all this out once we reach
“Agreed,” Koester
replied.
“Agreed,” echoed
K’danz.
“Fine,” Janeway
said before turning to the ship’s first officer. “Tom, how about some champagne, so we can
toast to no-longer absent friends.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
*
* * *
“Entering
standard orbit, Commander,” Cadet
“Very well,”
Commander Paris replied before opening the intercom. “Captain, we’re in Earth orbit.”
A moment later
Captain K’danz emerged from her ready room, followed quickly by Captain
Koester. K’danz looked over at the main
viewer where the blue-white globe of the planet Earth filled the image, several
starships and the immense Starfleet spacedock facility visible in orbit as
Captain Koester took the seat to the left of the command chair.
“Any word from
Starfleet, yet?” the captain asked.
“Nega…,”
“We’re being
hailed by Starfleet Command.”
“On screen,
Lieutenant,” K’danz ordered as she walked over next to Paris, who was now
standing.
The viewscreen changed
to the image of a bald-headed human man wearing an admiral’s uniform sitting
behind a desk. Through the window behind
him could be seen the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, looking much as it had
for centuries after being rebuilt following the Breen attack on San Francisco
during the Dominion War a decade earlier.
“Welcome home, Dauntless,” the admiral said with a
smile.
“Hello, Dad,”
Commander Paris said.
“Thank you,
Admiral Paris,” K’danz replied.
“Nice to see you
again, Admiral,” Koester said to his first commanding officer.
“We’ve scheduled
a meeting for 1800 hours tonight, main conference room of the Admiralty
building, Captain K’danz,” Admiral Paris informed. “We’re going to require you, your executive
officer, Captain Koester and one of your yeoman to attend.”
“Understood,
sir,” K’danz responded after looking over and seeing Koester nod.
“Oh, and bring
your appetites,” Admiral Paris added.
“Dinner will be served promptly at 1815.”
“Dress uniforms,
sir?”
“No, duty
uniforms will suffice,” the admiral replied with a smile. “See you in a few hours. Starfleet, out.”
“Why do I get the
feeling like I’m being offered a last meal?” Koester asked as the viewer
changed back to the image of local space and K’danz started walking back toward
the doors of her ready room. She paused
next to the helm console, resting her hand on the back of the chair before
looking back at her former captain.
“I get the same
feeling. And I really don’t like it,”
she said before disappearing into the ready room.
“Any idea what’s
going to happen, Captain?”
“I don’t know specifics,
but I think I know the likely scenario,” Koester replied, his tone glum. “Kate told me the other day that there are
members of the Admiralty who would prefer having me back in command of the Dauntless. Many of those same admirals felt Carrie was
given command of the ship quicker than they liked, that Kate forced the issue
down their throats when I was declared dead.
And while many of those same admirals have had similar problems with me,
especially since my first return to Starfleet, they’re looking at this highly
unusual situation as a way of taking Kate down a notch or two. And Carrie, having only been a captain for
less than a year, has told me she already believes her days in command are
numbered.”
“What’s your
opinion?”
Koester looked at
the first officer silently for a moment, as if contemplating what exactly he
could say to the younger man. Finally he
answered, “Carrie was an excellent exec.
I believed she would be an excellent captain, and prodded her toward
that goal for many months. Personally, I
think it would be best for everyone concerned, Carrie and the crew, if she were
allowed to retain command. But this
decision will be made by officers above me.
I can only make recommendations.
And if it turns out that Carrie is returned to the position of first
officer, I would still be proud to serve with her again as her commanding
officer. I only hope they choose not to
take that fourth pip away from her.”
*
* * *
That evening, at
almost precisely 1800 hours, four transporter beams materialized in the lobby
of the Admiralty building of Starfleet Command on the grounds of the Presidio
in
“The Admirals are
expecting you,” he said.
The four officers
entered the conference room, which was a large, 50 by 50 meter chamber with a
sizeable conference table at its center and a floor to ceiling window dominated
by a view of
“Please be
seated,” Admiral Paris said, gesturing toward the chairs on one side of the
table as aides brought drinks and water glasses over to the new arrivals. On the other side of the table sat six
Starfleet admirals of various rank, mainly of the two and three star
variety. Captain Koester knew several of
them personally; Admiral Paris, his first commanding officer aboard the USS Al-Batani, Rear Admiral Janeway,
with whom he had served aboard the Al-Batani,
and Vice Admiral Chlock, who had served under his father as a lieutenant
decades before. The other three admirals
he knew by reputation, Vice Admiral Salak, and Rear Admirals Duveau and
Bessman.
“You’ve really
done it this time, Peter,” Admiral Chlock said after the new arrivals had had a
chance to settle in. “Not since
Ambassador Spock has a Starfleet officer created as much of a predicament
returning from the dead as you have.”
“My apologies,
Admiral,” Koester replied, half-serious.
“Next time I die, I’ll just stay dead and simplify the paperwork.”
“As pleased as we
are that you are back amongst the living, Captain,” said Admiral Duveau, “you
have presented us with a dilemma. One
that we need to resolve in the coming days.”
As the officers
spoke, the aides started wheeling food out on carts and served dinner to the
gathered guests.
“Our main concern
is what we are to do with you, Captain Koester.
Obviously we would like to have you back in command of a starship as
soon as possible,” Admiral Paris stated.
“Likewise, we
don’t want to punish Captain K’danz,” Admiral Janeway added. “She has performed more than adequately as
commander of the Dauntless since the
incident at Capria IV.” Koester noticed
Salak and Bessman glance at Janeway, as if they did not fully agree with the
statement.
“We started this
discussion with Admiral Janeway aboard the Dauntless
several nights ago,” Koester said. “If
coming back means that Captain K’danz must step down from her hard-earned and
well deserved position, then I would resign my commission before allowing that
to occur.” Now it was Koester’s turn to
receive Salak and Bessman’s glares.
“Likewise, I
would rather resign my commission than allow a valued resource like Captain
Koester to leave Starfleet so easily,” K’danz stated. This prompted a glare from Admiral Duveau.
As the main
course was served, the discussion continued.
“Our biggest
problem,” said Admiral Paris between bites, “is there currently aren’t many
starships in need of a captain right now, especially one with your experience,
Peter.”
“Kathryn, isn’t
there a starship in spacedock whose commanding officer is transferring to a new
assignment? Perhaps we could give that
ship to Captain Koester?” Bessman inquired.
“Yes, the
starship Bellerophon just returned
from cataloging anomalies in sectors 1545 and 1547.” Janeway looked over at her protégé. “But Bellerophon
isn’t a class one explorer like the Dauntless.”
“And…?” Bessman
prompted.
“And I fear being
assigned such a ship, after so many years in command of the Sovereign-class Dauntless, could be interpreted as a
blemish on Captain Koester’s record,” she replied.
“A ship is a
ship,” Admiral Duveau commented.
“This coming from
someone who refused to serve aboard anything less than the flagship for most of
his career?” Admiral Paris chided his colleague.
“Admirals, may I
ask a question, off the record?” Koester interrupted.
“Of course,”
Janeway replied.
“Taking the Bellerophon off the table… How do the six of you see this problem being
resolved?”
“It is of my
opinion,” Salak replied, “that in all likelihood you, Captain Koester, will be
placed back in command of the Dauntless. A position you would not have lost had we
seen through the Erminian’s deception like we should have.” The admiral seemed to glare once again at
K’danz, who looked like she wished she could melt into her chair and out of
sight. “Captain K’danz will then be
reassigned as your executive officer.”
“But that isn’t
fair, to either Carrie or Tom,” Koester argued, referring also to Tom
Paris. “Both worked hard to earn the
trust, respect and position they are due.”
He looked at Janeway and said, “Send me the data on Bellerophon. As Admiral
Duveau said, a ship is a ship.”
The meal
continued, though conversation was subdued.
The tension in the air was palpable.
When dessert had finally
finished and the plates were cleared, the six admirals all stood, prompting
Koester, K’danz and the others to stand as well.
“This evening has
been… enlightening,” Admiral Duveau said as he offered his salutations.
“We will inform
you all of our decision in the next few days.
In the meantime, your crew is authorized shore leave. Enjoy some time on Earth. It isn’t often that starships have a chance
to get home.”
Koester offered
his own good-byes and thanks for the shore leave authorization as Commander
Paris approached his father to exchange pleasantries and K’danz found herself
walking over to Janeway.
“Carrie, are you
coming back to the ship?” Koester asked as he and the yeoman, who had kept
notes during dinner between bites off her own food, walked toward the door.
“You go ahead,”
K’danz replied with a wave. “I’ll beam
back up shortly. And tell Dar I’ll still
meet him in 10-Forward, I’ll just be a few minutes late.”
Koester nodded
and then lead the way out of the room, followed by the yeoman and Commander
Paris. Once they had left, followed by
all the admirals except Janeway and Paris, K’danz looked at Janeway and said,
“Tell me about the Bellerophon,
Admiral.”
*
* * *
Thirty six hours
later, Koester was in his VIP quarters, waiting for his daughter to finish her
school classes for the day so the two of them could go sightseeing in the Bay
area, in particular to go see the World War II submarine USS Pampanito near Fisherman’s Wharf again. As he relaxed on the couch with a novel
displayed on a padd, his own collection of printed paper books having been
removed from the starship and placed in storage after his ‘death,’ the intercom
came to life.
“K’danz to
Captain Koester.”
Koester tapped
his combadge and replied, “Go ahead, Carrie.”
“Could you please
come up to the ready room? I need to
speak with you.”
“I’m on my way,”
Koester replied, putting down the padd and grabbing his uniform jacket on the
way out the door. A couple of minutes
later he was pressing the door chime next to the ready room doors.
“Come,” K’danz
called out.
Koester entered
the ready room to find K’danz sitting on the couch/day bed along the outer
bulkhead of the room rather than behind her desk. The elder captain grabbed one of the nearby
chairs and turned it to face K’danz.
“What’s up?” he
asked.
“I needed to talk
to you. I had a discussion with Admiral
Janeway the other night. I asked about
the Bellerophon and what she’s
capable of. The Admiral arranged for me
to take a tour of her yesterday afternoon.”
“And what? You think an Intrepid-class ship is beneath
me? I think I could get used to it
again. After all, the Dauntless-74658 was only a…”
“I’m taking the
transfer,” K’danz interrupted. It took a
moment for what she had said to register in Koester’s head.
“You’re what?”
“I’ve done the
research. Bellerophon is a good ship with a good crew. First Federation starship to visit
“That doesn’t
mean you need to leave. I did a little
research of my own. Besides the
K’danz shook her
head, quieting Koester.
“It’s pretty much
a done deal. I just need you to sign off
on a couple of small details.”
“And those are…?”
“Besides the
captain, there were a few other senior officers who are transferring off the Bellerophon. When I go there, I need to take a few people
I know with me.”
“If this is true,
it’s bad enough I’m losing you. Now you
want to take key members of my crew too?!?
You know, I’ve grown to depend on you.
A lot!”
“I know. But when it appeared like you had died, we
all had to make adjustments. You’ll just
have to do the same. But you have an advantage
I didn’t have.” Koester raised his
eyebrows in curiosity before she added, “I won’t be dead. Only off commanding another ship. I’m only a subspace communiqué away if you
need me.”
Koester sighed as
the last of his resistance faded and he nodded slowly.
“Fine,” he
conceded. “Who do you need?”
“I’d like to take
Tom with me,” K’danz answered. “We’ve
developed a good rapport these last few months.
And you need to break in a new
An evil grin
formed on Koester’s lips as he said, “How much is he worth to you?” K’danz looked shocked, as if she had not
expected that response, before Koester smiled normally and said with a chuckle,
“Of course you can take Dar. I’ll
probably have to pull a few strings again, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Anyone else?”
“According to
Admiral Janeway, Bellerophon is also
going to need a chief science officer and a security chief as well. But I certainly wouldn’t expect you to give
up Alasdair.”
“Have you
considered T’Ashara?” Koester asked.
“She’s been an assistant CSO for what seems like decades now, not just
aboard this ship but two previous commands.
About time she was moved up, don’t you agree?”
K’danz nodded as
she made a notation on a padd that had been sitting on the couch next to her,
then said, “I guess that just leaves a security chief? I have to admit, it seemed strange having
nothing but Starfleet Marines for security when we first returned to the Dauntless, but I’ve grown quite
comfortable with it. I think I’d like
Marines on my new command.”
“Talk to
Mack. See if he has any suggestions,”
Koester recommended.
“Well then, I
guess it’s agreed,” K’danz said with a smile.
“All that’s left is to inform Admiral Paris that we’ve come to a
decision.”
“I’m beaming down
to
“Bridge. Commander Paris,” came the reply.
“Commander, could
you please contact Starfleet Command and tell them Captain K’danz and I would
like an appointment with Admiral Paris this afternoon.”
“Aye, sir,”
*
* * *
At 1500 hours,
four people and one animal from the Dauntless
materialized outside the main entrance of Starfleet Command Headquarters, this
time Dar and Gem Koester replacing Commander Paris and one of the ship’s
yeomen, while attached to a leash in Gem’s hand was the fluffy white dog-like
pet the cadet had named Nanook.
“We’ll wait for
you out here while you have your meeting,” Dar said to his wife and Captain
Koester.
“I’m sure Nookie
would like a walk around the grounds,” Gem added.
With a nod, both
Koester and K’danz entered the Admiralty building and quickly made their way up
the turbolift to the Admiral’s office high in the building.
“The Admiral is
expecting you, go right in,”
“Sorry to call
this meeting without much advance notice, Admiral,” Koester said to
As Koester spoke,
K’danz presented a padd to Admiral Paris.
The admiral activated it, briefly skimming the information before
passing it to Janeway.
“With your
permission, Admiral, I will resume command of the Dauntless at the earliest convenience. Captain K’danz will then, with several key
members of the Dauntless crew, accept
the transfer to the USS Bellerophon.”
“I had a feeling
you two would work this out together,” said Janeway.
“Well, I’ll need
to run this by Admirals Salak, Duveau, and Bessman, but I’m pretty sure it will
be approved,”
“This actually
works out well,” Janeway said to
“What new fleet?”
Koester asked.
“Starfleet has
decided to reform the Fifth Fleet and homeport it at the new starbase that has
been built in the Typhon Sector. We’re
going to start opening up a new frontier and fully commit to exploration beyond
the Typhon Expanse.”
“No more ‘show
the flag’ missions? No more patrols
along the Romulan border? No more
dealing with the Cardassians and Tholians?
Just exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new
civilizations?” Koester asked, excitement on his face. “Count me in, Admiral!”
“Me too,” agreed
K’danz.
“Very well. That makes two more of the five planned
starships so far,”
“I’ll have my
aide get the paperwork rolling,” Janeway said as she stood up and headed toward
the door, pausing briefly.
“Congratulations, Peter.
Congratulations, Carrie.”
“Thank you,
Admiral,” both captains replied.
Several minutes
later, the two captains met their family members back outside and all of them
were cutting across the campus of Starfleet Academy, heading toward downtown
San Francisco and dinner when they passed through the school’s memorial garden. Nanook sniffed at many of the stones
memorializing heroic members of the fleet, like Captains Christopher Pike and
James T. Kirk, or remembering famous battles to protect the Federation, like
the Four Year War against the Klingon Empire or the Battle of Wolf 359, lined
up along the walking path. Some of the
newest stones listed dozens of starships and hundreds of names of Starfleet
personnel killed during the Dominion War, with a separate stone memorializing
the lost heroes of the attack on
As the group
neared the end of the memorial garden, Gem paused for a moment, looking and
pointing at one smaller stone near those commemorating the Dominion War,
causing Nanook to bark at where she was pointing.
“Hey, look at
this!” she said.
Koester, K’danz
and Dar walked over, Koester’s face turning pale as he read the engraved
lettering on the stone, which said;
In Memory of Captain Peter
J. Koester
Starfleet, United Federation
of Planets
b. 2343 – d. 2385
Killed in the line of duty
while trying to
bring peace to the people of
Capria IV (Erma);
Stardate 62107
“I slipped the surly bonds of Earth,
Reached out my hand and touched the face of God.”
“Okay, that’s
just plain creepy,” Koester said, K’danz and Dar nodding in agreement. “I need to talk to Kate about having that
removed,”
“Can I have it?”
Gem asked as the group resumed walking.
“Why would you
want what is basically my prematurely placed headstone?” Koester asked,
horrified.
“I think it’s
neat!” the sixteen year old girl replied.
“It would look good on the shelf in my quarters.”
“Okay, lets go,
while I still have what remains of my appetite left,” Koester said, grabbing
his daughter’s hand and leading the group out into town.
*
* * *
Just over 48 hours
later, a gathering was held in the 10-Forward lounge aboard the Dauntless. In attendance, besides Captains K’danz and
Koester and the starship’s senior officers were Admirals Paris and Janeway,
several other members of the Starfleet brass, Gem Koester and a few of her
friends including Dot and Annika Arbelo and both Captain Rochell of the USS Bellerophon and his first officer,
Commander Arlington. All the Starfleet
members wore their dress uniform, the Admirals in their long black and grey
jackets, the Marines present in dress blues, everyone else the standard
bone-white uniform and black pants.
Everyone was milling about the room, holding conversations and snacking
on hors d’oeuvres until the ship’s bell rang six times. Immediately both Koester and K’danz moved to
the forward end of the lounge, where everyone gathered could see them, and
where K’danz was handed a padd by a waiting yeoman.
“Attention to
Orders,” Tom Paris commanded. The entire
room quieted significantly. Captain
K’danz then activated the padd she had been handed and read from it.
“To Captain
K’danz, Commanding Officer, USS Dauntless
NCC-75310. Stardate 62941.1. You are
hereby requested and required to relinquish command of your vessel to Captain
Peter J. Koester as of this date. Signed, Owen Paris, Admiral, Starfleet Command
Headquarters.” She then turned to look
toward Koester. “Computer, transfer all
command codes to Captain Peter J. Koester. Voice authorization:
K’danz-Gamma-Whiskey-Bravo-eight-two-four-four.”
“Transfer complete,”
the feminine voice of the starship’s computer responded. “USS
Dauntless now under command of Captain Peter J. Koester.”
Koester took a
step closer to K’danz and, after offering a handshake, stated, “I relieve you,
Captain.”
K’danz smiled as
she deactivated the padd and replied, “I stand relieved.” Then, as those gathered in the lounge started
applauding, she handed the pad back to the nearby yeoman.
“Well, one down,
one to go,” Koester commented as he accepted a tall glass of champagne and clinked
it against the one that K’danz held as Dar stepped up next to his wife.
“That will be
tomorrow evening,” K’danz said. “Need to
work the champagne and hors d’oeuvres out of my system between now and then.”
As they spoke,
Starfleet Marine Captain Michael Drake stepped over, looking striking in his
dress blues uniform. The Marine had an
expression of shock on his face.
“Captain!” he
said, addressing K’danz. “Is this
true?” He indicated a small padd he was
holding.
“If you’re
referring to your appointment as Chief of Security and Contingent Commander
aboard the Bellerophon, Mister Drake,
then yes, it’s true,” K’danz replied.
“Congratulations.”
“Wow. It seems like only yesterday I arrived aboard
the Dauntless as a 1st
Lieutenant. This is outstanding.”
Captain Koester
stepped closer to Drake as he said, “I have also made arrangements to transfer
your wife to the Bellerophon with
you. Wouldn’t want you to be too lonely
aboard the new ship. Laura can report to
Commander T’Ashara at her convenience.”
“Thank you,
Captain! Thank you both!” Drake said
excitedly, shaking both senior officers hands before heading back into the
crowd to find his wife Laura and share the good news. “Security Chief! Wow!”
As Drake walked
away, Captain Rochell walked over, chuckling as he watched the departing Marine
officer.
“My crew… I’m sorry, I mean your crew…,” he said,
addressing K’danz, “…are going to take some time getting used to having Marines
aboard full time. We weren’t exactly in
the thick of things during the war you know.”
“But you did go
to
“That was a
diplomatic mission,” Rochell protested.
“I had a boat load of ambassadors and Admiral Ross pretty much running
the ship! But you…!” He looked directly at K’danz. “You’re going to be taking the Belle to places no human, Vulcan,
Andorian or otherwise has ever seen before!
I envy you, Captain.”
“What is your
next assignment, Captain, if I may ask?” Koester inquired.
“Command of Deep Space 5,” Rochell replied
proudly. “Designing and building the
ships for Starfleet’s next generation.”
“I wish you the
best of luck on your new assignment,” K’danz offered with a handshake.
“And you on
yours,” Rochell responded.
*
* * *
The next
evening it started all over again, this time within the crew’s mess aboard the
Intrepid-class USS Bellerophon and
witnessed by a smaller crowd of dignitaries and guests, including Captain and
Gem Koester, Admirals Paris and Janeway and several of the Dauntless senior staff.
“Attention to Orders,” said
Commander Arlington. The gathered crew
of the Belle, as they referred to
their ship, snapped to attention.
Captain Rochell stepped to the middle of the room near the windows that
looked out on the starship’s bow, and started reading from another padd.
“To Captain Rochell, Commanding
Officer, USS Bellerophon NCC-74705. Stardate 62943.8. You are hereby requested
and required to relinquish command of your vessel to Captain K’danz, formerly
of the USS Dauntless, as of this
date. Signed, Kathryn Janeway, Rear
Admiral, Starfleet Command.”
K’danz stepped forward from the
group of officers that were lined up in front after getting a quick hand
squeeze from Dar. She stood next to
Rochell, facing the outgoing commander.
“Computer, transfer all command
codes to Captain K’danz. Voice authorization:
Rochell-Alpha-Alpha-one-three-niner-Zeta.”
The ship’s computer bleeped
acknowledgement before replying in the same voice as aboard the Dauntless, “Transfer complete. USS
Bellerophon now under command of Captain K’danz.”
“I relieve you,” K’danz said to her
colleague.
Rochell nodded solemnly before
saying, “I stand relieved.
Congratulations, Captain.” He
then offered his relief a warm handshake.
As the formal
reception started, mess stewards carrying large trays of intricately prepared
food out of the galley and placing them on the tables around the mess hall,
Admiral Janeway joined Koester, K’danz, Tom Paris, Dar and young Gem near one of
the windows.
“It’s been quite
a week, hasn’t it?” she commented.
“It certainly
has,” K’danz agreed.
“I just wanted to
make sure you knew, both your crews are authorized another week of shore leave
while we get all the loose ends tied up.”
“That’s great,
Kate. That’ll give me the time I need to
start going through FITREPs looking for a new Exec. And maybe you and I can finally get together
for that lunch I promised way before I died?” Koester joked.
“I’m holding you
to that, Peter,” Janeway replied. “I’m
also going to need to see you both in my office in the next couple of days to
finalize the assignment of your starships to the new Fifth Fleet.”
“I’m free all
week,” Koester said.
“Me too,” K’danz
agreed.
“Fine. I’ll tentatively schedule you for three days
from today. That gives each of you a
chance to settle in on your respective ships and still have a little time to
relax.”
“Works for me,”
K’danz said before looking at her husband.
“I also need to talk to my new Chief Engineer about scheduling a
shakedown so I can get a feel for the new ship.”
“I’ll pencil you
in,” Koester remarked to the admiral.
“And I’ll have my yeoman contact your aide and schedule a lunch date.”
Janeway nodded as
she clinked champagne glasses with everyone and, with a nod, moved off to chat
with Tom Paris after offering both captains another round of congratulations.
“Rochell said Dar
and I can start moving into the Belle’s
captain’s quarters by tomorrow evening,” K’danz informed Koester. “You can have your old quarters aboard the Dauntless back by the following night.”
“I want my books
back!” Koester said accusingly but with a smile. “Have Monster arrange for them to be returned
from storage. Along with the rest of my
stuff.”
“Consider it
done,” K’danz replied.
The two captains
sipped from their glasses in silence for a moment, both gazing out the window
at the future that lay ahead before Koester finally spoke up again.
“I’m going to
miss you, Carrie.”
“I know,” K’danz
replied.
To Be Concluded…
Return to 2385.
Return to Stories Archive.