TFT6 - The Winds of Time
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 6:21 am
TFT6 - The Winds of Time
T’Ari’s Akira class starship made it back to Forward Base Steele. Barely.
I watched the tugs drag the old ship into the box, and put her into the de-construction slip. Her warp drive ate itself and destabilized the whole ship. It would take a complete rebuild to get her back to specs. And since we weren’t keeping her to begin with, that was it for the ship. Old before her years.
Then I looked at the strategic status board.
There were red dots. Some blinking. Calls for service. Distress calls and reported problems. There were even more yellow ones.
Always more needing done and not enough ships and people.
I sat with it for a moment and something went “click”.
It was time for me to grow the fuck up.
I took a deep breath. And I did it.
I opened the personnel files and started juggling.
Then I sent messages out.
Admiral Manoneznorb called me “Jay. I saw the change. Are you sure?”
I nodded “Has to be done.”
She looked at me, and I could see the recognition.
“Did you want to step down and command one? I think we could find one for you,” I said.
She grinned “Maybe later, when there’s not so much to do. Carry on.”
I nodded “Aye, Sir.”
-*-
T’ari and her XO Tarah met me in the observation lounge that over looked Box 1.
They didn’t look as young anymore. I got them juice from the replicator and we made small talk until Li’ira arrived. She looked good. You couldn’t tell where the surgery was anymore.
“Li’ira are you ready to head out? I have calls on the board.” She’d heard me talking about my work problems. Always new problems, always trying to get a ship over to them.
She nodded gravely.
Harksain Varupuchu came in. I’d have to put him in something. I’d heard another Varupuchu was about to get poached. If I didn’t find a ship for him, someone somewhere else would. But for now, he had a job.
“Harksain, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Jay. Is this business or pleasure?”
“Business I’m afraid.”
He stood up a little straighter and got into duty mode.
“What’s the condition of the Saraswati?” I asked
“We’re ready to roll the moment you give the word.”
I handed Li’ira a PADD “Li’ira, I’d like you to take the Saraswati out. I need a ship and competent people out there.”
She looked at me “Jay, that’s your ship.”
“Admirals don’t command individual ships. My job is to make sure you have everything you need to do the job.”
She looked at me for a long moment and then straightened “I’ll take good care of her.”
“Once we get our patrol strength worked out, I’ll have more border and edge space patrols for you. But for now, I have red lights and I need ships to get on them and solve them.”
“Congratulations!” T’ari said.
I waved T’ari and Tarah over to the window “See that lady down there is slip three?”
Tarah looked and looked back with big eyes
“That’s the USS Tarvala, They call her an Excelsior II class. I’m sorry, I’ll have to ask you and your crew to do familiarization up training on the fly. Can you handle it?”
She nodded “We can do that.”
Li’ira grabbed her shoulder “Congratulations, yourself!”
“Mixer, or Splitter or whatever in the usual place at 1800,” I said “The USS Tarvala is fully equipped and ready to go, So you only need to take personal belongings and gear.”
“How many of my remaining people can I take?” Li’ira asked.
“As many as you want,” The crew of the Brethenga had mostly gotten on ships heading for House Roak. Much of the rest was in training. Even if there wasn’t room for some of them on the Saraswati, I’d find a ship for them. We needed people the way we needed ships.
“You ready?” Li’ira asked Varupuchu.
He grinned a wry grin “Let’s go round up your people and get ready.”
“On your way,” I told them.
They left babbling about their new commands.
I stayed in the observation deck. No longer a Starship Commander.
After some vague period of time, I deliberately turned and walked back to my office. Those red lights weren’t going to wait on me being sentimental
T’Ari’s Akira class starship made it back to Forward Base Steele. Barely.
I watched the tugs drag the old ship into the box, and put her into the de-construction slip. Her warp drive ate itself and destabilized the whole ship. It would take a complete rebuild to get her back to specs. And since we weren’t keeping her to begin with, that was it for the ship. Old before her years.
Then I looked at the strategic status board.
There were red dots. Some blinking. Calls for service. Distress calls and reported problems. There were even more yellow ones.
Always more needing done and not enough ships and people.
I sat with it for a moment and something went “click”.
It was time for me to grow the fuck up.
I took a deep breath. And I did it.
I opened the personnel files and started juggling.
Then I sent messages out.
Admiral Manoneznorb called me “Jay. I saw the change. Are you sure?”
I nodded “Has to be done.”
She looked at me, and I could see the recognition.
“Did you want to step down and command one? I think we could find one for you,” I said.
She grinned “Maybe later, when there’s not so much to do. Carry on.”
I nodded “Aye, Sir.”
-*-
T’ari and her XO Tarah met me in the observation lounge that over looked Box 1.
They didn’t look as young anymore. I got them juice from the replicator and we made small talk until Li’ira arrived. She looked good. You couldn’t tell where the surgery was anymore.
“Li’ira are you ready to head out? I have calls on the board.” She’d heard me talking about my work problems. Always new problems, always trying to get a ship over to them.
She nodded gravely.
Harksain Varupuchu came in. I’d have to put him in something. I’d heard another Varupuchu was about to get poached. If I didn’t find a ship for him, someone somewhere else would. But for now, he had a job.
“Harksain, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Jay. Is this business or pleasure?”
“Business I’m afraid.”
He stood up a little straighter and got into duty mode.
“What’s the condition of the Saraswati?” I asked
“We’re ready to roll the moment you give the word.”
I handed Li’ira a PADD “Li’ira, I’d like you to take the Saraswati out. I need a ship and competent people out there.”
She looked at me “Jay, that’s your ship.”
“Admirals don’t command individual ships. My job is to make sure you have everything you need to do the job.”
She looked at me for a long moment and then straightened “I’ll take good care of her.”
“Once we get our patrol strength worked out, I’ll have more border and edge space patrols for you. But for now, I have red lights and I need ships to get on them and solve them.”
“Congratulations!” T’ari said.
I waved T’ari and Tarah over to the window “See that lady down there is slip three?”
Tarah looked and looked back with big eyes
“That’s the USS Tarvala, They call her an Excelsior II class. I’m sorry, I’ll have to ask you and your crew to do familiarization up training on the fly. Can you handle it?”
She nodded “We can do that.”
Li’ira grabbed her shoulder “Congratulations, yourself!”
“Mixer, or Splitter or whatever in the usual place at 1800,” I said “The USS Tarvala is fully equipped and ready to go, So you only need to take personal belongings and gear.”
“How many of my remaining people can I take?” Li’ira asked.
“As many as you want,” The crew of the Brethenga had mostly gotten on ships heading for House Roak. Much of the rest was in training. Even if there wasn’t room for some of them on the Saraswati, I’d find a ship for them. We needed people the way we needed ships.
“You ready?” Li’ira asked Varupuchu.
He grinned a wry grin “Let’s go round up your people and get ready.”
“On your way,” I told them.
They left babbling about their new commands.
I stayed in the observation deck. No longer a Starship Commander.
After some vague period of time, I deliberately turned and walked back to my office. Those red lights weren’t going to wait on me being sentimental