Under Construction

Posted on 30 Oct 2017 @ 9:30pm by Captain Akio Tachibana

Mission: He ho'omaka hou 'ana - A New Beginning
Location: Providence Fleet Yards Spacedock
Timeline: 20 Dec 2388

OFF:
I know some crew are eager to post, so feel free to post your arrivals!

ON:
Akio couldn't believe it. First, he had been transferred to take command of the USS Hawaii, over his desires to teach at Starfleet Academy. Not that Akio did not want command, he just expected it later in his career and not so soon. He also didn't think he would be given a brand new Sovereign-class starship as his first.

"Go big or go home," Akio muttered to himself in the turbolift. He always heard his old CO say that and it wasn't until now that the phrase started to make sense.

Starfleet Command was very worrisome about the Gorn front. Flashbacks of the classified orders he received days earlier ran through his head. Essentially, he was being entrusted in part because Akio was one of the few command officers who had no preference about going to war. While war was always a part of Akio's career, he always preferred peace to war, the latter as a last resort.

While it was not completely spelled out for him, Akio could read between the lines. There was very scant reporting of the Gorn attack, with many detailed reports kept under classified wraps. Akio had his suspicions: How could the Gorn catch the Federation blind like that? They had to have had inside help of some sort or there was a vast intelligence failure.

Akio looked disembarked from the turbolift and looked at the Hawaii. The exterior was gorgeous although with the engines off, the ship took a brooding presence as shuttles and workbees zipped around her.

Akio was to catch a shuttle to visit his command for the first time--

"Attention in the Facility. Attention in the Facility. Please pass the word for Lieutenant Commander Akio Tachibana to report to the command deck. Please pass the word for Lieutenant Commander Akio Tachibana to report to the command deck," blared the loudspeaker.

Great. Who wanted to see him now? If it was another pep talk from some other Captain or Admiral, Akio was going to throw a coil spanner through the window.

Command Deck - Providence Fleet Yards

"Someone wanted to see me?" Akio reported to the yeoman at the door.

"Yes, Captain Walker is in his office, third door on the left down the left corridor," the yeoman reported.

Akio never liked space stations. Their layouts were confusing and while they may look similar on the outside, on the inside, they were always different based on whatever renovations the station underwent since it was constructed. Despite the standardized intent of Starfleet, every CO still had a way of personalizing the station during their tenure until the result was just a labyrinth of an Ensign's worst nightmare.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Akio inquired as the doors whooshed open following the chime. Akio never knew a Captain Walker, but apparently, once you were a CO, you appeared on a list that Captains and Admirals possessed.

"Yes. I have the records of your latest crew. Starfleet is still sending the rest, so you will have some fleet-ups along the way. I will send you what I can," Captain Walker explained as he held a PADD out for Akio.

As Akio approached to retrieve the PADD, he saw the name plaque and the title 'Chief Personnel Officer' under the Captain's name. It all clicked now. Akio could actually appreciate what the Captain had done.

"Is there any word of XO options, sir?" Akio inquired.

"No. They're really pushing the commissioning of the Hawaii ahead of schedule. So we've been playing catch-up. There's also been increased scrutiny for command positions, especially since you're heading to a war zone. Don't count on getting a choice," Walker replied.

"Yessir. I appreciate your help nonetheless," Akio said as he bowed and quickly left.

While it was exciting to see who the latest crew was, Akio was not pleased to hear he would have no say in who his first officer would likely be.

As he arrived back at the shuttle bay entrance, he boarded his shuttle and finally looked at his PADD.

Chief of Operations Lieutenant Nimh, a Bajoran from the USS Hendriary. Akio never heard of the ship. She did serve in the Bajoran Militia though during the Dominion War. That had to be something.

Chief Engineer Lieutenant Junior Grade Kosu, a Betazoid from the USS Redguard, a Defiant-class vessel. She didn't have much of a file to get through. Great. A junior officer as a department head and she had gone from one of the tiniest vessels to a behemoth of a ship.

Akio did not accept command to wipe noses. Akio opened the last file... Sthilg. That's a funny name.

Akio almost dropped the PADD at what he saw next. After fumbling with it, he scrolled to where he was to make sure he read it correctly.

Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Junior Grade Sthilg, a Gorn from Starbase 856.

There was no way Starfleet was sending him with this rag tag crew to go fight the Gorn. With a Gorn CMO? Hell, he was liable to kill them all off himself if he wanted to. Was Starfleet Command insane?

This had to be a joke. There was no Hawaii command for Akio. It was all an elaborate scheme by his Academy classmates.

"Sir, welcome to the Hawaii," the shuttle pilot said as he turned.

"Thank you," Akio replied as the sobering reality set in. This was not a joke.

OFF:
A bit of humor to start us off!


Akio Tachibana, LCDR, SF
Commanding Officer, USS Hawaii