Posted by Captain Alex Becket (Commanding Officer) in Settling In — Lt. Peter “Alex” Cross, Counselor

Posted by Lieutenant Alex Cross (CNS) in Settling In — Lt. Peter “Alex” Cross, Counselor

Posted by Captain Alex Becket (Commanding Officer) in Settling In — Lt. Peter “Alex” Cross, Counselor
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Alex Cross had always believed that a room couldn’t heal a soul—but it could help someone feel safe enough to start.

That thought followed him the moment he stepped into his new quarters on Deck 4, still carrying the faint scent of fresh circuitry and sterilized metal.

The door slid shut behind him, and for a heartbeat the silence felt enormous.

New ship. New faces. New responsibilities.
He let the thought settle, not resisting the flicker of nerves beneath it. It wasn’t fear—just the awareness of standing on the edge of something unfamiliar. He’d felt this before on the Ogawa, the Constellation. It always faded with time.

As soon as his duffel hit the deck, he moved automatically, grounding himself in a rhythm that had always calmed him.
Unpacking wasn’t just routine—it was ritual.
• A small framed charcoal sketch of the St. Louis Cathedral found its place on the shelf above his desk.
• The smooth river stone from the Mississippi—his exam talisman—went beside his console.
• The bayou-green throw blanket softened the couch instantly.
• And the painted tile of three brass musicians under a streetlamp went up by the entrance, his mother’s note on the back still etched in his memory.

By the time he stepped back, the room felt warmer—less temporary. Less like someone else had lived here yesterday.

Alright… this feels like a start.

⸻

His Office – Deck 11

The Counselor’s Office on Deck 11 was bigger than he expected—rectangular, with soft-angled corners, one long wall of LCARS display panels, and a wide viewport overlooking the stars.

Right now, though, it felt sterile.
A room designed for procedures, not people.

Not on my watch, he thought, cracking open the first storage crate.
He started with the centerpiece of the room: the sectional couch.
It was a soft slate-gray fabric, chosen for comfort and neutrality. He angled it toward the viewport, not directly facing it, but close enough that someone sitting there could glance out without feeling exposed. In front of it, he placed a low, curved-edge table—dark wood composite—with:
• The carved wooden pelican, wings spread.
• A tray of fresh, warm replicated beignets.
• A slim glass carafe of water and cups, for when conversations stretched.

Next, he dragged the armchairs—two of them, in muted earth-tones—into a gentle semi-circle with the couch. The arrangement made it possible to sit face-to-face or slightly angled, depending on a patient’s comfort. Nothing rigid. Nothing dominating the space.

His desk stayed toward the back corner of the room, but he rotated it slightly so that when seated, he never directly faced the door. Patients entering wouldn’t feel immediately confronted, and he wouldn’t appear like a bureaucrat waiting behind a barrier. Behind the desk, he set the framed family photo and the New Orleans skyline datapad holder.

Beside the desk, he added a smaller, round accent table with the brass wind chime suspended above it. It didn’t ring—sound-dampeners made sure of that—but it brought memories of warm New Orleans nights and soft river breezes.

A narrow shelving unit went against the wall opposite the couch, holding:
• A few psychology journals
• A small potted peace lily
• A holo of a foggy morning on the Mississippi River
• Patient resources—everything from stress-management padds to cultural support material.

The walls had been an uninspired Starfleet beige.
He adjusted the ambient wall panels to shift the tone subtly warmer—soft honey-gold with faint cool undertones. Just enough to soothe the eyes.

He selected a woven rug in moss-green and muted gold for beneath the seating circle. Subtle bayou colors. Comfort without clutter.

Lighting was where the real transformation happened.

He dimmed the overhead lumens, leaving them no brighter than a soft afternoon sun filtered through curtains.
Then he activated the wall sconces—warm amber glows along the corners.
Small accent lights behind the couch added depth without glare.

The entire room shifted from “Starfleet facility” to “quiet evening at home.”
Relaxed. Private. Safe.

Exactly what he wanted.

And as he surveyed the finished sanctuary, pride tugged gently at him.
Yeah… this I can work with.

⸻

Reporting In

With both quarters and office complete, Alex finally allowed the weight of the day to settle across his shoulders. New beginnings always carried a quiet, vibrating tension—anticipation mixed with uncertainty.

He stepped into the turbolift from Deck 11, hands clasped behind him, posture measured.
As it carried him upward, he listened to the gentle hum of the Ark Angel. Newer ships always felt like they were still whispering, still finding their rhythm.

He could relate.

The lift released him onto Deck 1, and he paused outside the bridge threshold. He straightened his teal collar, thumbed one silver lieutenant pip, and took a calming breath.

First impressions matter. But being genuine matters more.

He stepped onto the bridge.

The Ark Angel was alive with quiet purpose—officers moving in fluid lines, consoles pulsing with muted light, soft reports drifting between stations. It felt competent. Steady. The kind of place he could belong.

Even so, meeting a new commanding officer always sparked a faint pulse of nerves. Respect for the unknown.

He approached the ready room doors, polished surface reflecting the bridge glow. One more grounding breath. One more reminder:

New ship. New captain. New chapter.

He pressed the chime.

Counselor Alex Cross

While Becket had settled in as commanding officer on board he had got a notice on his little monitor on his desk. A new ships counselor. He had thought there for a while and realized that they haven’t had a ships counselor for a long while and now that his new counselors service record had came through.

He had gotten up and got a cup of tea from the replicator. Earl Grey tea, hot. He picked up the cup with a smile as he was sitting there looking over the service record of Alex Cross. He had than sat down and heard his ready room chime go off. “Enter.” He said as he was sitting down behind his desk.

Captain Becket was very pleased to see on his crew roster that all of his department head positions were all filled. However, an executive officer is still needed. However, that wasn’t on his mind. Meeting the new ships counselor is more important to him.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

The doors to the Captain’s ready room slid back to show the man in the service record that the Captain had just been reading. But the face and demeanour was more alive, warmer than then the photo. He also exuded a sense of calm assurance as he entered.

Approaching the Captain’s desk he paused and nodded in greeting. “Captain Becket, Dr. Alex Cross, Counselor, reporting as ordered, sir.” He said as he stood hands clasped his back.

While he had been walking across the Captain’s office his Counselor’s mind had been cataloging and studying both the Captain and his office to get a sense of his new Commanding Officer. He knew what the man’s service record said of him, but he preferred to make his own impressions.

Beckett was young for a Captain, having come to it through the loss of his own Commanding Officer. That would have to weigh heavy on his shoulders. How would he handle coming to his first Command of his own in such a way? Well, it was his, Alex’s job to make sure the Captain had the support he needed to do it successfully.

Counselor Alex Cross

Becket had stood up and smiled. And held out his hand. “Welcome to the Ark Angel Counselor. How was your trip to the ship?” Becket asked. With him having a smile on his face he was very accomplished with his accomplishments that he has done. Captain Becket maybe young but he is very accomplished. With the help of having the counselor at his side.

“Would you like anything to eat or to drink, counselor?” He asked before continuing.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Accepting the Captain’s hand, Alex gave it a firm shake, returning the other man’s smile before taking a seat. “Only a drink if you are having anything, sir.”
He said as he relaxed. He liked the other man’s style. He’d never served under a Captain close to his own age before, this was going to be interesting. “The trip over was fine, sir. I spent most of the time studying the crew of course. You and your crew have had a bit of rough go the last little while. A lot of crew turnover.”

Counselor Alex Cross

Alex had went over to his replicator. “Coffee? Tea?” He asked the counselor. “I would believe so yes. A lot of new crew came aboard and have been settling in really well. Our last commanding officer, he was relieved of command and Starfleet had given me a command of my own. Which of course is this ship. However, my change in positions have been a little drastic. I went from being a lieutenant j.g. as Chief engineer bypassed lieutenant and became lieutenant Commander as executive officer for 3 months. Just a couple of days ago I bypassed the rank of commander to captain and was given the command of the ark Angel. Other than that, things have been going well all things considered.” He explained to his newly founded counselor. “However, the Ark Angel hasn’t had a counselor for about 3-6 months roughly so, the crew including myself will need a new pysch evals done.” He added.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

“Coffee, black is fine, thank you Captain.” Alex kept speaking while the Captain collected the coffee. “How are you feeling about these two sudden promotions, Captain? Do you feel up to the challenge? Overwhelmed?” Most Captains were notorious for avoiding Psych evals, so he wasn’t going to pass this chance of having a mini session. They could both suss each other out.

Counselor Alex Cross

He walked up to the replicator. “Coffee, black.” He said to the computer and it synthesized it. Becket had grabbed it and handed it to the counselor. “Well counselor. It was a step up from Chief engineer to Executive Officer. However it felt nice. When I got command of the Ark Angel, it was a sudden thing that had happened. So I’m a little overwhelmed. But I am ready to take up the challenge. It was actually my dream to become a commanding officer. The two promotions were sudden. I liked it but sometimes no explanation. But honestly,” he took a pause and took a drink from his earl grey tea. “I’ve been ready.” He added.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Alex accepted the coffee and took a moment to take a sip, “That’s good to hear Captain. I’ll save the rest of any probing questions for you for when I get you in my office.” He added with a wry smile. “We are here though for my reporting in to you. Did you have any questions or orders for me, sir?”

Counselor Alex Cross