Taking Possession - Part 1

Posted on 01 Jan 2018 @ 10:05pm by Captain Ricardo (Rico) Montoya

1,236 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M-14 New Beginings
Location: Deep Space 5
Timeline: Prior to and during "A familiar face"

[DS5 – Deck 73 – Shuttle Bay 5]

Their flyer touched down in one of the many cavernous shuttle bays on Deep Space 5. They hadn't had to worry about scheduling transports or depend on other transportation as the runabout had been their home during their extended leave. Rank did have some privileges. He was going to miss the runabout, it was too bad the Phoenix's shuttle bay wouldn't be able to accommodate such a large craft of he would have requisitioned one.

Rico came up from the lower deck after changing into his uniform. It felt good to be back actually, too much time off tended to dull your edge...at least in his opinion. As he moved forward Heather was in the process of shuttling down the flyers systems. She turned back and gave him a nod,
"Well don't you look sharp?"

"We all set here?"

"Yep. The deck officer is all ready to take possession of this little daring and also promised to have all our things transferred to the Phoenix for us."

"Excellent." Motioning to the aft hatch, "After you."

Stepping down out of the shuttle Heather was greeted by and orange clad member of the deck crew that offered her his hand. Accepting it with a warm smile she hopped of the steps. “Why thank you”.

“You’re welcome ma’am”, his thick southern drawl apparent even in the noisy shuttle bay. “My momma would have my hide if she ever learned I did offer to assist a lady.”

“Nice to see southern hospitality is alive and well. “ Adding with a wink, “Even if under the threat of a skinning.”

Rico stood behind her, in the hatch, listening to the exchange as he looked out over the crowd.

Looking up at the large framed Captain, glad that he’d soon be gone and he could work his southern charm on the red headed Lieutenant in front of him. “Cap’n. The Commander wasn’t able to make it down, but if head up to ops she has everything for ya.”

“Thanks Chief.” Glancing to Heather, “You can ah…handle all this?”

Know exactly what he was meaning she nodded. “Yes sir. I will see that everything is taken care of.”

She watched him go and turned back to the Chief. “So are you the big strong man that’s going to help me get all our things transferred to the Phoenix?”

Grinning even wider with, a nod to his head, he liked where this was going. “Yes ma`am I’ll see that the Captain’s personables are sent to his quarters and I’ll be taking yours go to…” pausing to check her location only to swallow hard. Clearing his throat, “…the Captain’s quarter too.”

When he looked up she was just watching him with one eyebrow raise and a wry grin. “No need to strain yourself, just have them beamed over please Chief...” She put her hand on his shoulder as the let it fall away as she moved to leave, “…and ahhh better luck next time.”

Heather sauntered off and after leaving the bay she found the nearest lift, stepping inside, “Promenade”. ~After the long shuttle trio I need to stretch the legs…and do a little shopping~, she thought to herself.


[Main Operations]

Rico stepped into Ops and was immediately greeted. “Can I help you Captain?”

“Yes, I‘m here to see Commander Soran and take a ship off her hands.”

The Petty officer indicated that Rico should follow him and led him through main ops to Martiza's office. "Captain Montoya, ma'am." he said.

"Thank-you, Claude,” Maritza stood as the superior rank entered her office, and held out her hand to Rico. "Commander Soran, CO of DS5. Welcome aboard, sir."

Rico took her hand and nodded as he smiled. "Thank you Commander. I've heard a lot about the station from my former CO. He served here before getting his first command."

There were a hundred thousand people on DS5, not counting the transient population. And his former CO was likely before her time. "Likely before my time, sir, but you'll be aware we aren't short of drama."

That drew a humorous laugh. "Neither was my former CO. He got his start with drama, when some Romulan sect attacked the station and he ended his career with drama after...shall we say a colorful display. But what would you except from a Klingon." He paused and reminding himself that even though she was a command level Starfleet officer, she wasn't read into and definitely didn't have the 'need-to-know' concerning the details surrounding the Commodore's departure.

Clasping his hands together and rubbing them slightly he warmed his smile and changed the subject. "I understand your yard master is putting the final touches on a ship for me. Do you have a progress report on that?"

"Dyson informed us that the USS Phoenix left the yard twenty minutes ago. The tugs bringing her should have her here very shortly. Flight control has instructions to notify me the moment they request docking." Maritza checked out of her window, but now the station was in a planetary orbit, her view was no longer static, and the yards were currently out of sight.

"Excellent, and for some reason I was expecting her to still be incomplete. Though I am curious as to why she's being towed in and not moving into the main dock under her own power?"

"I've not been informed directly of anything," Maritza replied, "But it shouldn't be too serious, or they wouldn't release her." She indicated her door, "Would you like to come with me down to the docking ring? We have a berth cleared for her."

Nodding and hoping that nothing was seriously wrong. Not exactly the best first impression he wanted to leave, what with all the Cardassians out there. "Lead the way"

She took him to the turbo lift. "Deck One Fifty." The doors whispered closed, "We've been receiving your crew for the last few days. Mostly engineering enlisted. If there's a problem, you should have plenty of help on hand to resolve it."

Leaning against the wall of the lift, "Enlisted are fine for routine matters but is there are any serious issue I will want to borrow a few of your officers. At least until mine show up."

He paused changing the subject. "What's with the Cardassian task force we saw on the way in?

"They turned up shortly after Pangea emerged. They claimed that since so many people were injured in the emergence that the Federation wasn’t capable of protecting its own interests let alone the lives of Cardassians. Its bull shit of course, they want the planet. The question is; are they willing to go to war to get it. The Federation won't initiate things so that leaves them harassing any shipping in international space that they consider 'suspect'. So far they've attacked a Bajoran ship, claiming self defense, and a civilian trade ship claiming they were smugglers. When the civvies scuttled the ship as the Cardassians were boarding, they had the nerve to demand we surrender the 'terrorists' responsible." She kept her sigh to herself. She wasn't sure there were any solutions either.

"Well at least they're consistent. I think the only time they cooperated willingly with the Federation was just after the war; but that didn't last long."


TBC

 

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