The Long-Delayed STO update
Now that I can play again, I've been needing to write this so here it is. The screenshots are lower-quality because they were done on my laptop, as with all the older ones. Next time I do an update, it will include shiny new-computer shots.
Ranger
This time, there was no trickery. There were no tricks of mirth on the admiral's part. This was too big for that.
"Wayas, you've earned this as much as anyone else ever has. You've done more impossible things in your short time as a ship's CO than many captains have done in their entire careers. You show a knack for getting into trouble that's almost as honed as your talent for getting out of it. And through it all, you've demonstrated both diplomatic talent and a soldier's resolve. Civilians are starting to ask about you by name. At this point, your long list of accomplishments isn't something we can ignore anymore, even as short as your career to date has been. Therefore, it is with sincere pleasure that we hereby promote you to captain."
Rylia Wayas was dumbstruck, to say the least. What could she say to that? What was there to say? She almost tried to insist that she was just doing her duty; but part of her stopped her, as she took a moment to consider it. She'd travelled back in time and fought alongside Kirk. They'd rescued an important figure to the Klingons. Twice. She and her crew had even discovered more than one Undine infiltrator and unravelled at least part of the mystery behind the Hobus supernova. Certainly, it was a time of war, but even then, few captains ever had that many accomplishments to their name...
Wayas sighed. She really couldn't justifiably turn this one down. And even if she didn't think she quite merited it, a part of her couldn't help glowing at the high praise. Yeah. Alright. She could deal with this. If nothing else, it would give her even more of a chance to get out and do some real good. This was where she wanted to go when she joined Starfleet to begin with.
"Thank you, Admiral. I'm deeply honored. I'll do my best to honor the trust you're putting in me."
The admiral inclined his head. "I suspect if you're doing your best, we won't have a thing to worry about, Captain." He smiled a little. "That said, there are a few other things of note. As you're now a proper captain, with all the rights and responsibilities that implies, we've decided to give you a ship. One that can keep up with your... usual sort of mission. Commander?"
Behind him, Sulu nodded, a twinkle in his eye. The commander already had a PADD in hand, and was tapping away at it. "We picked one out with a distinguished service record of her own. She's not aging, or cobbled together, or a 'learner's post', captain. This ship is the real deal, a modern ship of the line. She recently had her bridge remodelled for modern standards. I even took a liberty or two on your behalf," he added. Wayas couldn't help a smile. Akira Sulu was nothing if not on-the-ball. She doubted she'd outrank him very long.
"Captain Wayas, I'd like to introduce you to the USS Ranger." With one final tap, Sulu brought the room's holoemitters online, displaying a 3D scale model in the middle of the room.
Ry's jaw dropped. She had expected an Excelsior, or maybe an Ambassador. The ship before her was neither of those. It was bigger. It was a behemoth. It was a flying fortress.
A Galaxy-class starship. One of the most visible, well-known symbols of the Federation -- and not a very numerous one either. For them to be giving a Galaxy to her...
She swallowed. "I-I'm honored, sir..." The captain paused. She peered at the saucer. Were those... "...war paint. It's perfect." She couldn't keep the grin off her face, and when she glanced up, Sulu's look was almost a mirror. "I thought you'd approve."
Admiral Quinn had been watching the exchange in silent approval. He chose that moment, however, to speak up. "I'm glad you're pleased of your new ship. Of course, with your new rank and ship, we're prepared to offer you a new, more experienced crew. Your current crew have all served with distinction of their own, and we're prepared to assign them to posts that befit their skill and dedi..." The admiral trailed off; perhaps because the bottom had dropped out of the pit of Wayas's stomach, and she wasn't quite able to keep the dismay off her face. "Is there something wrong, Captain?"
She nodded slightly. "Permission to speak freely?" Quinn tilted his head slightly. "Please."
Wayas took a breath. "With all due respect, sir... I already have a crew. Everyone on the Wanderer has proved themselves more than up to the challenge. My crewmen have always kept my ships in top condition, and I wouldn't be here without my bridge officers to back me up. We've all gone through this together. I think I could do more and do a better job with my current crew than I could anyone else."
Admiral Quinn considered it for a long moment, then nodded. "I see your point, Captain." Was that a twinkle in his eye? "I'll have to reshuffle the rosters a bit. Your current crew isn't quite big enough to fill out a Galaxy, so you'll need to take on some new crewmen regardless. But if you're that confident in your current crew, then I trust that any new additions will be able to integrate quickly." Wayas nodded, beaming. "Thank you, sir. We won't let you down. Is there anything else you need?" The admiral shook his head. "Not until your official promotion ceremony tonight, Captain. If you'd like, Commander Sulu can take you out to tour your new ship."
Captain Wayas nodded. "Aye, sir. I'd like that very much."
----
The bridge of the Ranger was huge. But it was a comfortable hugeness. It felt fitting for such a large vessel. It felt right. The captain took a moment to just take in all her officers, sitting at their stations and ready. She tried to suppress a shiver. This was it. This was what she'd joined Starfleet for. But now wasn't the time to get introspective; they already had their first assignment. It was time to get moving, and put this thing through its paces.
She stood up, and tapped her commbadge. "Attention all hands of the USS Ranger. To those of you who know me... it's good to have you all under my command again. To those of you who don't? This is Captain Rylia Wayas. It's my pleasure and honor to have you all under my command. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all what state the Federation is in. It's a testament to the times that I'm a captain as young as I am. I can understand that all of you might have some... hesitation, at serving under me. I know I would in your shoes. I've only got one thing to ask you all, one request to make..."
She closed her eyes for a moment; nobody but the bridge crew would see it, but then nobody really needed to. "Give me a chance."
Wayas opened her eyes again, and continued. "We all swore the same oath in Starfleet Academy. We're all here to do the same thing. 'To uphold the finest traditions of Starfleet, and to protect the people of the Federation and the galaxy.' That was why I joined to begin with. That's what I've been doing since I graduated. And that's what we're all here to do now. All I ask is that you help me. I can't do this alone. I need you - each and every one of you - to make a difference. We're a crew. A team. We stand together, fight together. I may someday have to ask you to do the impossible for me. But that street goes both ways. I will go to the wall for each and every one of you. Because you're my crew, down to the last man and woman.
"So that's where we stand for now. We've already got our first assignment as a crew; we're being stationed out on Deep Space Nine, to help with operations in Bajoran space. We'll be getting underway shortly. Once we've cleared spacedock and entered warp, I'll be in my office for any crew that wish to come speak with me. Here's to a good journey for all of us."
Wayas switched the open comm off, and turned to face her bridge crew. "That goes for all of you, too." "Of course, Captain," Sivak replied, glancing at her from his station. Even he seemed to have a little more energy. She smiled faintly. "Well, you all heard me. What are we waiting for? Take us out, Mr. Oldysyph." It was a rare occasion for her to use Ydam's surname... but this was a rare occasion. He didn't seem to mind. "Ayeaye."
The Ranger was a bit slow to pick up speed, but she moved smoothly enough, and it didn't take long for the ship to hit the edge of what was considered Earth Stardock space. She slowed to a stop, and the bridge fell silent. Waiting for the captain to give the order. She paused for a moment. She'd done this before, but this time was... different. There was weight behind this. But she could do weight.
Captain Rylia Wayas nodded her head slightly, and then pointed forward. "Engage."
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Ranger
This time, there was no trickery. There were no tricks of mirth on the admiral's part. This was too big for that.
"Wayas, you've earned this as much as anyone else ever has. You've done more impossible things in your short time as a ship's CO than many captains have done in their entire careers. You show a knack for getting into trouble that's almost as honed as your talent for getting out of it. And through it all, you've demonstrated both diplomatic talent and a soldier's resolve. Civilians are starting to ask about you by name. At this point, your long list of accomplishments isn't something we can ignore anymore, even as short as your career to date has been. Therefore, it is with sincere pleasure that we hereby promote you to captain."
Rylia Wayas was dumbstruck, to say the least. What could she say to that? What was there to say? She almost tried to insist that she was just doing her duty; but part of her stopped her, as she took a moment to consider it. She'd travelled back in time and fought alongside Kirk. They'd rescued an important figure to the Klingons. Twice. She and her crew had even discovered more than one Undine infiltrator and unravelled at least part of the mystery behind the Hobus supernova. Certainly, it was a time of war, but even then, few captains ever had that many accomplishments to their name...
Wayas sighed. She really couldn't justifiably turn this one down. And even if she didn't think she quite merited it, a part of her couldn't help glowing at the high praise. Yeah. Alright. She could deal with this. If nothing else, it would give her even more of a chance to get out and do some real good. This was where she wanted to go when she joined Starfleet to begin with.
"Thank you, Admiral. I'm deeply honored. I'll do my best to honor the trust you're putting in me."
The admiral inclined his head. "I suspect if you're doing your best, we won't have a thing to worry about, Captain." He smiled a little. "That said, there are a few other things of note. As you're now a proper captain, with all the rights and responsibilities that implies, we've decided to give you a ship. One that can keep up with your... usual sort of mission. Commander?"
Behind him, Sulu nodded, a twinkle in his eye. The commander already had a PADD in hand, and was tapping away at it. "We picked one out with a distinguished service record of her own. She's not aging, or cobbled together, or a 'learner's post', captain. This ship is the real deal, a modern ship of the line. She recently had her bridge remodelled for modern standards. I even took a liberty or two on your behalf," he added. Wayas couldn't help a smile. Akira Sulu was nothing if not on-the-ball. She doubted she'd outrank him very long.
"Captain Wayas, I'd like to introduce you to the USS Ranger." With one final tap, Sulu brought the room's holoemitters online, displaying a 3D scale model in the middle of the room.
Ry's jaw dropped. She had expected an Excelsior, or maybe an Ambassador. The ship before her was neither of those. It was bigger. It was a behemoth. It was a flying fortress.
A Galaxy-class starship. One of the most visible, well-known symbols of the Federation -- and not a very numerous one either. For them to be giving a Galaxy to her...
She swallowed. "I-I'm honored, sir..." The captain paused. She peered at the saucer. Were those... "...war paint. It's perfect." She couldn't keep the grin off her face, and when she glanced up, Sulu's look was almost a mirror. "I thought you'd approve."
Admiral Quinn had been watching the exchange in silent approval. He chose that moment, however, to speak up. "I'm glad you're pleased of your new ship. Of course, with your new rank and ship, we're prepared to offer you a new, more experienced crew. Your current crew have all served with distinction of their own, and we're prepared to assign them to posts that befit their skill and dedi..." The admiral trailed off; perhaps because the bottom had dropped out of the pit of Wayas's stomach, and she wasn't quite able to keep the dismay off her face. "Is there something wrong, Captain?"
She nodded slightly. "Permission to speak freely?" Quinn tilted his head slightly. "Please."
Wayas took a breath. "With all due respect, sir... I already have a crew. Everyone on the Wanderer has proved themselves more than up to the challenge. My crewmen have always kept my ships in top condition, and I wouldn't be here without my bridge officers to back me up. We've all gone through this together. I think I could do more and do a better job with my current crew than I could anyone else."
Admiral Quinn considered it for a long moment, then nodded. "I see your point, Captain." Was that a twinkle in his eye? "I'll have to reshuffle the rosters a bit. Your current crew isn't quite big enough to fill out a Galaxy, so you'll need to take on some new crewmen regardless. But if you're that confident in your current crew, then I trust that any new additions will be able to integrate quickly." Wayas nodded, beaming. "Thank you, sir. We won't let you down. Is there anything else you need?" The admiral shook his head. "Not until your official promotion ceremony tonight, Captain. If you'd like, Commander Sulu can take you out to tour your new ship."
Captain Wayas nodded. "Aye, sir. I'd like that very much."
----
The bridge of the Ranger was huge. But it was a comfortable hugeness. It felt fitting for such a large vessel. It felt right. The captain took a moment to just take in all her officers, sitting at their stations and ready. She tried to suppress a shiver. This was it. This was what she'd joined Starfleet for. But now wasn't the time to get introspective; they already had their first assignment. It was time to get moving, and put this thing through its paces.
She stood up, and tapped her commbadge. "Attention all hands of the USS Ranger. To those of you who know me... it's good to have you all under my command again. To those of you who don't? This is Captain Rylia Wayas. It's my pleasure and honor to have you all under my command. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all what state the Federation is in. It's a testament to the times that I'm a captain as young as I am. I can understand that all of you might have some... hesitation, at serving under me. I know I would in your shoes. I've only got one thing to ask you all, one request to make..."
She closed her eyes for a moment; nobody but the bridge crew would see it, but then nobody really needed to. "Give me a chance."
Wayas opened her eyes again, and continued. "We all swore the same oath in Starfleet Academy. We're all here to do the same thing. 'To uphold the finest traditions of Starfleet, and to protect the people of the Federation and the galaxy.' That was why I joined to begin with. That's what I've been doing since I graduated. And that's what we're all here to do now. All I ask is that you help me. I can't do this alone. I need you - each and every one of you - to make a difference. We're a crew. A team. We stand together, fight together. I may someday have to ask you to do the impossible for me. But that street goes both ways. I will go to the wall for each and every one of you. Because you're my crew, down to the last man and woman.
"So that's where we stand for now. We've already got our first assignment as a crew; we're being stationed out on Deep Space Nine, to help with operations in Bajoran space. We'll be getting underway shortly. Once we've cleared spacedock and entered warp, I'll be in my office for any crew that wish to come speak with me. Here's to a good journey for all of us."
Wayas switched the open comm off, and turned to face her bridge crew. "That goes for all of you, too." "Of course, Captain," Sivak replied, glancing at her from his station. Even he seemed to have a little more energy. She smiled faintly. "Well, you all heard me. What are we waiting for? Take us out, Mr. Oldysyph." It was a rare occasion for her to use Ydam's surname... but this was a rare occasion. He didn't seem to mind. "Ayeaye."
The Ranger was a bit slow to pick up speed, but she moved smoothly enough, and it didn't take long for the ship to hit the edge of what was considered Earth Stardock space. She slowed to a stop, and the bridge fell silent. Waiting for the captain to give the order. She paused for a moment. She'd done this before, but this time was... different. There was weight behind this. But she could do weight.
Captain Rylia Wayas nodded her head slightly, and then pointed forward. "Engage."
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