It wasn't a large ship. It wasn't a ship with wide renown. It wasn't the flagship of
the fleet, or of any fleet for that matter.
But it was a grand ship. And it was his ship.
Captain Colin Fitzgerald knew every centimeter of her. He had disassembled and
reassembled most of her over the past couple of weeks, along with his new chief
engineer, who he was perhaps overly fond of.
Lt Commander Kimberly Wells was everything her personnel file had said she would be:
Cranky, irritable, hot-tempered, foul-mouthed and often insubordinate. This, Colin
assumed, was why a Lt. Commander rather than a mere Lt or perhaps even an LTjg had
been assigned to this small a ship, with such a new CO.
What LtC Wells' file hadn't detailed, however, and what Colin was quickly growing to
appreciate, was the sheer mechanical genius of the young woman. She understood the
workings and the guts of this ship better, he had to assume, than some of the ship's
designers and builders.
And, he allowed himself to reflect, she did have a rather pleasing carriage.
Wells, not the ship.
Though the Centurian cut a rather fine figure herself, she was no match for the rather
slight (he had quickly learned not to call her 'petite') blond with the long hair
bound back and often tied up, with eyes of green that rivaled any he'd ever encounted
in his native Ireland.
Colin was making his way upward from the lower decks, using the access ladders as was
his fashion. On a ship this small it was, to his way of thinking, the very
characterization of sloth to use the lifts. Also, on a ship this size, there was
little exercise to be had except that of navigating the decks.
Moments later he emerged onto the bridge - his bridge - and took a moment to quickly
survey and appreciate his domain. It was a small command, but it was a command. And
it was his.
And therefore, it was a glorious command, on a very grand a ship.
Colin was not an impressive looking man. He was on the short side of medium, with
full but flat chestnut hair and hazel eyes that twinkled of their own accord,
certainly due to the mischievious Celtic spirit within. His father's fathers had
walked quarterdecks all the way back through the earliest of spacefaring days and, in
fact, back through even the earliest of seafaring days. His most prized collection
was the complete set of "Fitzgerald's Musings on Travel at Sea (or Deep Space)" the
first published in 1791 by an oh-so-great grandfather, the very latest published only
25 years before, updated by his grandfather. He was already at work on his own
volume, which would include a bit more poetry than its prequels.
"Mr. Carrick," he said, his deep Irish brogue curling around each of the vowels and
spinning them as it let them go. "I have the conn."
"Aye, sir," Lt Carrick, the navigator and officer of the watch responded, immediately
vacating the center seat. "Captain has the conn."
"Anything of consequence to report, Mr. Carrick?" Captain Fitzgerald asked as he eased
himself into his captain's seat.
"Starbase 311 hailed us just moments ago, Captain," Carrick reported. "Hizzoner is
expecting you."
"Aye, as is fitting," Colin said, the nautral smile sneaking across his face. "ETA,
Mr. Carrick?"
"Five minutes, sir."
Colin nodded, waiting out the next four minutes as the tiny speck in the center of the
viewscreen slowly grew and took on the shape of an imposing, if backwater, Starbase.
"Slow to sublight, then, Mr. Black, if you please," Colin said to ops manager.
"Slow to sublight, aye.", Donovan was more formal with the Captain on the bridge than
his usual. He was as new as the Captain was to the ship, but had not had the same
amount of time to get to know him as the chief engineer. There would be time for that
later. This tour was just at the start.
"Bring us in on a shallow azimuth, and then come about and stand aloof."
He just had to ask, "Out of curiosity, Captain, just how does one stand aloof while
holding position next to a starbase?" Donovan's fun, comical side. Besides, it would
give an openning for the Captain and the Ops. Manager to get to know one another.
{response}
OOC: Damn, it's good to be back. I'm dipping my toe in the water with Captain
Fitzgerald and ,hopefully, I'll bring back my other characters soon. Good to be
gaming with you folks again!!
{OOC: It is great to have you back.}
Co-GM of the Spacedock/JSOC Game
Characters:
Adm. Samuel Lasiter,
RAdm. Markus Garibaldi,
Ambassador Marconis, and a host of others.
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