That New Starship Smell. Envy.
Posted on Fri Nov 28th, 2025 @ 6:49pm by Commander Rhupert Tyree
1,508 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
On the Trail
Location: Aboard the USS Astrea Imprimitar
Timeline: After Anyone Call an Uber
Rhu paced through Empok Nor, though the itinerary he’d been given meant he was ghosting. According to the ring he was wearing, he was now a Lieutenant of Security and assigned to the USS Astria Imprimatur. The Stray had a transwarp drive and that would get him to the rendezvous with Valiant. Then he’d set up the command’s staff from the Adelaide. There was also a mysterious new crew member he’d been warned that was coming aboard. He’d spent the bulk of his transit time aboard the runabout catching up on correspondence that he’d had to table while aboard the Adelaide.
It was all getting rather confusing.
Which was the point.
But still.
Now dressed in Operations gold again, Rhu wove his way to the Stray’s boarding area and was checked in by the Deck Officer without comment, then shown to the Captain’s ready room.
The Stray was fairly new, according to the data file he’d read. Six months out of the yards and four months past her trials, she was commanded by Captain Jordan Bowie, whom he had hadn’t met before. Her Exec was a full commander and that’s who greeted him now. “Welcome aboard, Commander Tyree the blonde woman said as he entered, “I’m Prentice Loxe (she pronounced it Lukes). Captain Bowie’s regards but she’s tied up with the Admirals and will be aboard within the hour and we’ll get you on your way. I know this is fairly hush hush, but could I offer you a tour? We’re selling your presence as a transfer of course.”
The woman’s tone was warm and she was a looker, “I’d enjoy that Commander,” he told her. He noted the d'ja pagh she wore and smiled, “But I also know how busy you likely are. And some might wonder at a Commanderr giving an older than average Lieutenant a tour maybe? And please call me Rhu, by the way.”
“I thought of that, Rhu,” she said with a grin. “And call me Pre. Your cover is as Federation Liaison for Colonel Galen come aboard to check things out before he arrives, which won’t be until about the time we depart. Given a Romulan is boarding, having a liaison officer ensure things are correct isn’t that out of the ordinary. Shall we?”
She gestured toward the doors and then led him back onto the bridge and Rhu took the layout in critically and appreciatively. It was utilitarian and something of a departure from traditional styles. Instead of forward facing command seating with stations clustered about, there was a central well where five work stations all faced each other with a holo-projector in the middle. Railing work stations circled those with pull out seating. Circling half the exterior walls were more mission work stations and jump seats that folded into the walls when not needed. There were also the normal turbo lift accesses, ready room doors and another corridor that led off to more offices that Rhu knew were included on this decking.
Tucked at the rear part of the bridge was a mission support station reminiscent of the one aboard the Valiant. It resembled the holo-projecting drafting tables used in engineering and operations, but this one was tied directly to all mission critical parts of the ship as well and could let the duty officers and senior staff work together on projects while on bridge duty as well.
“Captain Bowie took a direct hand in designing the Stray’s bridge,” Pre informed him as. “She could see no practical purpose to having everyone looking mostly ahead at a screen when we can have them seated, facing each other or overlooking things from the raised pedestal stations. Less open space for people to get tossed around, for the most part and the command officers can move about as needed. He prefers to stand while working, so we can do that or grab chairs at the various consoles or in the jump seats. It’s a work in progress however, but the crew is adjusting.”
The tour continued and Rhu’s noted a deep appreciation for the ship and design.
Over the next hour, Prentice gave him the two credit tour of the Light Cruiser and his estimations of both the ship and her crew went up. After that hour was up, Rhu found himself seated in the officer’s mess, a steaming cup of coffee before him as he sorted activated his subdermal earpiece and then coded into a secure message Tesh had sent him.
"Rhu," her voice sounded in his ear. "Timeline for this is tight, but there's no helping it. The President had a briefing with Fleet and they're up in arms. Tidbits of information, some of them gathered by the Valiant have helped Fleet Intel to locate one Calven Quaide. A renegade Fleet Officer who is likely in bed with what remains of the Obsidian Order. Location, aboard what appears to be a secret-ish Nor class station that was forgotten on purpose. We don't know anything about the station or what Quaide is up to. Regardless of the giant ocean of what they don't know, Fleet is going in after them and once the President found out, he assigned Valiant to help out."
Rhu felt his gut tighten at that...this wasn't...
"It's not what you're supposed to be doing," Tesh's voice came through his ear, as if that proximity to his brain could let her tell the future. "I know. The President knows...but things are delicate with the Romulan and Cardassians right now. Rumor is there are back channel negotiations going on, but we can't substantiate that. The Romulans hinted at the fact that they suspect the President is going outside SFI or FI for intel, somehow and he wants to to handle that. So, to that part here's the meat."
"You'll be receiving sealed orders from Jordy...excuse me, Captain Bowie of the Stray. While aboard, you'll also be meeting the newest addition to Valiant's crew. By order of the President," Tesh's recorded voice informed him without further preamble, "Colonel Galen of the Romulan Star Empire will be consulting with you, auspiciously as an exchange officer. But he's bringing a cloak with and will be operating that for you during the next mission at least."
Rhu's mind raced at the idea of adding an actual cloak to the Valiant's tool kit. Along with the holo-cloak, it could be invaluable. Tesh's voice snapped his attention back after a few beats, "The Order from the President doesn't set a time limit Colonel Galen will be aboard, but the cloak goes with him so we'll use him as long as we can. You're going to have to cover a lot of ground, that's why the Stray is going to hall you to meet up with Valiant so you and Galen can get aboard. Get that cloak plugged in, retrieve your DH's and get to Earth for the next part of this."
As she spoke, Rhu picked up a PADD and began pulling up navigational information and charts. "You need to get Valiant stood back up and to Earth within about twenty days of stepping aboard the Stray. The yard at DS5 got the new hull configuration on, but the interior's are unfinished and you'll need to deal with that as you go. She's space worthy and has the new Photon mortors's installed, but it's rough. We recommend not putting those online until after this mission or you get backed so far into a corner you can't run or evade."
"Don't do that," Tesh consoled, the speaker buzzed in his ear, tickling it and Rhu randomly rubbed at it. "At Earth, you're to pick up a contingent of Marines off of the Pioneer, led by Lt. Cornelius Tremble, Pioneer's XO. Then get to the badlands, cloak and nav to this Nor class station so the Marines and their Fleet Intel personnel can clandestinely insert and grab Quaide. Exfil them and get the hell out of Dodge without anyone being the wiser. That's the action plan and all of that will be in your packet. If needed, you'll be briefed before departing Earth, but we don't think you'll be there more than a handful of hours. This is a Priority classification, so if you need something from Stores, get them there. Sorry to dump all of this on you, Rhu," Tesh's voice softened, "But, we're counting on you so get it done. Froyce Out."
Rhu scowled as he traced through charts and looked around the mess. A Romulan spy coming aboard what was supposed to be a compartmentalized, super fricking secret, presidentially directive op. Suppressing another sigh, Rhu began a checklist and got to work.
END
A Solo Post by
Commander Rhupert Tyree
Master and Commander
USS Valiant
Aboard the USS Astrea Imprimitar.
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