On The Road Again

Posted on Mon Nov 28th, 2016 @ 4:19pm by Captain T'mpest Michaels & Commander Rylie Cattmor & Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen

706 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Ripples
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD 01
Tags: ON

ON

With shore leave over and Starfleet satisfied with the Ranger's findings, it was time to continue with their explorations. Although the break had been nice, T'mpest had to admit that she was happy to be back. "Commander Cattmor, please take us out."

The call of her name didn't rouse her to the present from reading her PADD for a few seconds, and it took a pointed glance from T'mpest to make Cattmor realise that the commanding officer was signalling her as she looked up, and took in the non-verbal signal; then instinct took over. "Ensign Bradden, prepare to ease us out of spacedock."

"Aye commander." Bradden acknowledged.

"Bridge to engineering;" Cattmor continued, "start the ignition sequences and standby. Mister Sadler, prepare to disengage umbilical's and ties to station computer systems, and hail the dockmaster."

The Ensign standing at Ops almost looked nervous even though he'd performed the procedure dozens of times. Cattmor picked up why as he thought that Lieutenant Commander Blake would be on duty for this; it wasn't up to him. In fact, Blake was on duty but otherwise occupied in his office with last minute adjustments and paperwork, so it was left to him. "Yes sir."

"Chief," Rylie said addressing the officer at the tactical station, "lock down the docking ports, release clamps, and account for all crew members, please; make sure we're not missing anybody."

"All crew present and accounted for, commander."

"Control tower reading you, sir."

"Control, this is the USS Ranger requesting permission to depart." Cattmor asked facing the view of the starbase interior on the main view screen.

The reply came almost instantly, "Ranger, permission to depart granted, sixty seconds for port gates."

Rylie then turned her attention back to the helm. "Mister Bradden, as soon as all ties have been disengaged, ease us out, thrusters only. Once clear set course for starbase one-fifty-two and engage at warp six."

"Aye sir."

T'mpest sat quietly and watched. Her XO would make a fine captain some day.

As the doors to the massive internal docking space opened, Ensign Bradden, having ensured they were floating free, took the Ranger out on thruster power only. "Space doors cleared, warp six in five..." he started as he pressed the controls to incline the nacelles. "Two, one." And then they were on the road again.

The stars streaked in rainbow colours on the main view screen as Rylie spoke up again, "ETA to one-fifty-two please, Mister Bradden?"

"ETA stands at five hours, thirty-seven minutes, commander." Bradden replied double-checking the readouts.

"What time would you like to convene the senior staff for the briefing, captain?"

"Three hours, thirty-seven minutes," T'mpest replied. "That should give us adequate time for the briefing and final preparations."

Keen had been in the background, closer to the turbolift; he was never really sure why he was so amazed at the comings and goings of a ship through a space station. He had done it a few times in the past during a temporary stint as acting XO for a ship; three months of triple paperwork on top of his counselor duties.

This time he just wanted to see the commander take the ship out and get an impression for the crew evaluations and observations he gave routinely to the captain. Keen held the crew in a high regard, they were his flock of sorts and each were precious to the Prophets in their own way.

"Nicely done." He said to himself so no one else should hear, a note to be taken down in his reports.

Making note of the times on her PADD, Rylie nodded and sat back down in her assigned seat and was about to send the message regarding the briefing to required personnel when she caught wind of Morai's thoughts on how the exit had gone, especially in relation to her own performance. The corners of her mouth upturned ever so slightly and she could feel the burn around her eyes signifying her hereditary markings blushing. Luckily, the lights on the bridge were too bright for them to be evident for very long.

____
OFF

Captain T'mpest Michaels
Commanding Officer

Commander Rylie Cattmor
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen
Chief Counselor

 

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