Posted by Lieutenant Commander Valerie Ashford (Chief Science Officer) in Starbase One - A New Journey

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zackary James Hartley (Chief Tactical Officer) in Starbase One - A New Journey
Lt. Commander Zachary James Hartley had been back from the dead a little over three years, three years since he had been found by the crew of the McKinley, adrift in a blast-scarred shuttle from the USS Mansfield… his old ship, one that had been lost presumably with all hands following a run in with a Romulan commerce raider in June of ‘97. Until the moment the McKinley had confirmed his identity, then Lieutenant Hartley had been on the Federation’s list of Missing - Presumed Lost since that horrible day that had taken the lives of everyone he had worked with for over a year… and the life of his beloved Charlotte, the woman that had followed him to the Manny to start a life together. He would never forget her voice, the way she always smiled, and her beautiful laugh. But, try as he might, the last thing Zach could remember was dinner and the evening following with Charlotte the day of her birthday… June 7th, 2397. The following day and the incident that had taken over a thousand lives… including hers… was a blank.

Once Zach had been found, the poking and the proding back on Terra commenced. Countless meetings with shrinks, Fleet Intel, Command, and the Federation’s Office of Counterintelligence… that was fun! before they would even let his family know he was alive. His mom, Stefanie, and baby sister, Jane, had held him between them and cried till they physically couldn’t while Zach looked over their heads at his father… who just couldn’t believe his only son had been returned to him… just stood there, tears refusing to fall and shaking his head in disbelief. His first words to his son were “I had just about given up hope… I’m sorry son” before the mountain of a man wrapped his entire family in his arms and for the first time in Zach’s memory, Michael James Hartley cried.

It had taken over a year to finally get through the psych evals and security screenings to even being considered for a return to active duty and after that, Zach took the full 24 months of survivor’s leave before returning to the world he was now longing for. When Command reached out about the Atlantis, it was Jane that convinced him to take it.

Now, three weeks later, Zach Hartley sat in a window seat watching the massive hulk of Starbase One grow in the frame. She was right He thought. I missed this, more than anything… and as much as I miss Char’, she wouldn’t have wanted me to give up what I loved either!

As the shuttle docked, the newly minted Lieutenant Commander rose and tugged his tunic straight before grabbing his day bag and heading into a bustling environment that rivaled the very busiest of old Earth’s busiest pre-space airports.

Once he found the right gate, Zach strode over to the food court for a quick bite before the six-hour MAC flight out to Atlantis. Grabbing a sub sandwich and chips, he found a table near the gate and settled down to wait.

Hartley, CTO

A few tables down from Hartley, slowly eating through the last fries on her plate, a woman read the contents of a PaDD. There was nothing remarkable about her, nor was she someone who would draw anyone’s attention. Her dark hair was pulled back into a braid, revealing the same human features as any other member of the species, and her blue Starfleet uniform was not an unusual sight among the many people that traveled daily through starbase.

If someone was to look closer about the woman, however, they would find that the most curious thing about her was not herself but the contents of the PaDD she was reading — it was the personnel file of the man who was now eating a sandwich and chips a few tables away. Given the hustle and bustle in the food court area it would be impossible for anyone passing by to make that connection.

Swallowing the last fry, the woman licked the tips of her fingers and wiped them on her napkin before putting her PaDD away. She seemed pleased as she looked around for the replicators where she’d be able to recycle her tray, plate, and cutlery. Getting up, she slung her duffel bag over her shoulder carrying her tray with her available hand.

It wasn’t that her path would necessarily take her by the man’s table. It was that she chose to take the path that went by it. A well calculated ‘accidental’ hit of her foot on one of the back legs of his chair made her lose her balance and sent the tray careening into the table. It’s contents spilling onto his lunch with a loud crash.

Lt. Cmdr. Valerie Ashford, CSO

Hartley wasn’t exactly a cat, but his quick reflexes did save his attire from wearing both their lunches… though, when years later he retold the story, Hartley wouldn’t talk about the fact that those “reflexes” also resulted in dumping him unceremoniously onto the floor.

As Hartley started to come to his feet, he reached over to help the young woman up as well. “Are you alright Miss? That was quite a tumble.” Straightening his tunic, Zach returned fully to his feet and saw the wreckage of his lunch and, apparently, the others as well… and the steward looking exasperated as he walked toward the wreckage of the combined meals. “Wanna join me for lunch… after we replace ours, of course?” Zach asked the woman as he nodded apologetically to the steward before grabbing his bag and extending his hand.

“Hartley… Zach Hartley…” The tall, dark blonde in Tac Gold said with a smile.

Hartley, CTO