A Rapidesque Reassignment

Posted on Sat Mar 15th, 2025 @ 7:02pm by Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis

1,464 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: Starbase 33

She watched the highlighted wireframe of a ship as it finally entered the traffic pattern that surrounded Starbase 33 for around 2000 kilometers. This was THE hub of the Tador Sector and was touted as one of the primary entry points from Romulan space into Federation space and vice versa, complete with a diplomatic envoy from each of the major powers to resolve delicate situations on the spot rather than through the main channels on Earth and Romulus itself. And yet, there were people for whom the allure of latinum was just too strong.

"Freighter Lak'tarum The cool and calm voice sounded from where Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis sat at the luxurious up-to-date console, the earpiece settled in her ear faithfully feeding her the transmission to and from the Orion-based starship, "This is Starbase Traffic Control. You are cleared to enter the pattern via Beacon Six-Alpha. Lower your speed to twenty KPS and proceed towards Berth Twelve."

"Copy that Traffic Control." The speed on the ship began to wind down. Three minutes out, essentially, "Anything happening that we should know about, Control?"

"Nothing that would be considered concerning, Lak'tarum, Command has initiated a new protocol regarding docking, it just slows things down a bit. When you're on approach to Berth Twelve, come to a halt two kilometers out and hold position for pre-docking scan. Also please transmit number and types of passengers and cargo so we can verify with our scans. If you intend to transship any cargo or passengers, please make sure to notate that in your transmission along with identity documentation. Please keep in mind that anyone debarking must have proper identification and needs to show it to the customs official that will meet you at your docking berth." Her voice sounded like it did this on a daily basis, but she really didn't. There was something supposedly special about this ship.

"Control, we have eighteen crewers and fourteen passengers aboard, with a cargo of machine parts and livestock. Transmitting manifests now, but we are not dropping any cargo, eight passengers debarking for other travel arrangements, six continuing on our flight plan towards Iota Gamma." The location was just inside Romulan space, the authorization from the Star Empire also coming up on her screen.

The casual conversation continued sporadically until the ship made the final turn for the approach and finally stopped 2000 meters from the docking clamps. Valerie turned the sensor array at her control on the ship and made the standard scan, noting the loose cluster of 32 bodies that made up the ship's crew and passengers, then a much more dense array of lifesigns centered in the cargo bay. Livestock, they'd said, as she began a second sweep even before the first had passed halfway, but there were two sets of lifesign information there, body temperatures that differed by a handful of degrees, but interposed with each other. "Gotcha.." Valerie whispered.

"Lak'tarum, you are cleared for docking at Berth Twelve. Customs will be waiting for you to clear your passengers for entry to the Starbase, as well as issue temporary visas for any crewmembers who wish to spend some R&R on the station."

"Thank you, Control, we have a scheduled six hour layover here, picking up two additional passengers now that my message traffic has come through, I think some of the crew may go do a little shopping." There was relief in his voice, not much, but enough that she noticed it.

"I'm sure our merchants will be more than happy to see to your needs. Thank you for visiting Starbase 33, Lak'tarum, enjoy your stay. Starbase Traffic Control clear." She pressed the key that ended the transmission and looked up at the Security Chief, "We have a live one here, look at this scan. I'm seeing their cargo of Terovian Schandi," The creature was a food animal from Orion, prized for several cuts of meat, but was difficult to raise off the planet, hence why live shipments flew throughout the galaxy, "But look between those heat signatures and we have something else, a good six degrees cooler than the Schandi and smaller. Oh, I'm sure they'd try to convince us they're calves, but if you take those and compare to the crew, we've got a match."

"I see, Val, and they're going to Iota Gamma? They must have a contact there." He nodded, "I've got teams ready to go EVA and hull-crawl to their access ports."

"Have your customs teams clear them past the docking tube and take the passengers and especially any crew they send out at the secondary checkpoint." Valerie watched as the ship snugged up to the dock and the docking clamps engaged to secure the ship, "I'll send a Tac-team through their front door when you're all set, just to keep them occupied while your teams come up their rear end in a pincer and we'll see what they really have." She tapped her board a couple times to issue the orders.

"Commander Novis, Priority message from Earth for you." One of the comms officers chirped out, "Routing it over to your station."

"Go ahead and take that Val, I can handle this operation, don't worry I won't steal all the credit, I promise." He grinned at her , "Besides, this is my specialty, you've gotten it all planned out for me and got me what I needed to go in and get them."

"All right, Gerald, just be careful." She watched as the Security officer walked off, then turned back to her station and brought up the message on the brand new screen, "Let's see what this is all about."

She was expecting a video message, but was disappointed as it came up in text along with an attachment. Even before she read the first words, a lump of lead seemed to settle in her stomach.

"Lieutenant Commander Novis, enclosed are orders for your immediate transfer to Earth Starbase for the purposes of reassignment to the Heavy Cruiser Ark Royal under the command of Captain T'Kal. You are to assume the duties of the Chief Tactical Officer along with those of Executive Officer. Ark Royal will complete her fitting out within a week and you are required to report to Ark Royal within the next fifty-six standard hours by any means necessary..."

Valerie closed her eyes after reading that before going through the rest of the formalities that a change in assignments always had. The attachment was the official orders that gave her permission to commandeer reasonable transportation within the regulations to get to Earth Starbase within the given time parameters. Instantly her mind went over a list of local starships and their capabilities, realizing that being nearly three sectors away from Earth meant that the ship needed to be capable of higher warp numbers than what was available to her. "Georgia, what do we have in the way of courier vessels available?"

The small woman blinked a couple times before pulling up something on her own screen, "Two Class One shuttlecraft, two Vulcan Warp Shuttles, Mark Threes, Flechette is standing by for courier duty," The last was a small starship, but still too slow. "Why, something happen that can't be handled by transmission?"

"You could say that.." Valerie exhaled deeply as she realized only the middle option really stood a chance. It was effectively a small box mounted on an add-on sled of warp nacelles, usually used for Vulcan diplomatic personnel or very important and confidential messages, "I'm officially requisitioning one of the warp shuttles for a trip to Earth. I've just gotten orders to report there to be second in command of a newer heavy cruiser. Either someone noticed what I'm doing out here, or I've made some other impression on someone."

"Well damn, Valerie, congratulations! We should go out and get drinks tonight, celebrate that AND whatever you and Gerald are taking care of today!" Georgia was bubbly about it, just like she liked her drinks: Bubbly and alcoholic.

"I really don't have the time for that.. I've got about enough time in my orders to throw everything into a few bags and throw them in the hold of one of those shuttles to give myself a couple extra hours of buffer time. I'm afraid that Gerald is going to have to send me the report on the Lak'tarum instead of getting to see it in person. Can you relieve me of my post?"

The junior grade Lieutenant stood and made a crossing gesture in the air, "Commander Novis, you are relieved of your duty, may God have mercy on your soul and bon voyage!"

END
A Mission Post by

Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis
Presumptive Executive Officer
Presumptive Chief Tactical Officer
USS Ark Royal

 

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