Posted by Gamemaster Nosferatu (GM) in Main Sim: Calling Vice Admiral Thalor Ren – Ready Room

Posted by Captain Kastarak (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim: Calling Vice Admiral Thalor Ren – Ready Room

Posted by Gamemaster Nosferatu (GM) in Main Sim: Calling Vice Admiral Thalor Ren – Ready Room
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The doors to the captain’s ready room swooshed open. Kastarak stepped inside. The tank – where Taggart would store his leg, arm and his best friend Kane’s hand – was gone. The photographs, the cubes, the Hellraiser memorabilia were all gone. All that remained were the desk and chairs, but nothing remained in this room of the man who once sat here did. The air was colder than it should have been. The emptiness in the room was like the experience of pressure of a deafening silence.

He remembered the story that Taggart had told him once. Taggart had mentioned the Cenobites and gifted Kastarak the puzzle box. The story was one of pain mistaken for desire, about humanity turning monstrous by longing. Taggart had told it with laughter, but Kastarak had seen the layers below this, being reminded of Vulcan, and of how Romulans – once Vulcans – had turned monstrous and destroyed the Vulcan planet and killed its people.

But Taggart had not been killed. He had not died. And yet he was gone.

Kastarak took a deep breath. He would now ask Vice Admiral Ren directly what Starfleet intended with regard to the command of the Chernov now at this crossroads of a high-priority mission. He would ask whether Maddox’s condition, still unexplained and unchanging, warranted transfer or investigation beyond what they could do aboard. Kastarak needed to speak to Vice Admiral Ren – not as the physician Kastarak deep down was – but as the person temporarily charged with holding this ship together, barely.

The crew had lost a beloved captain with no goodbye, without any warning or communicated cause, and the next had collapsed in front of them before he’d even taken the chair properly. The crew had no closure, and no resolution. The sixteen-day non-stop warp trip under these circumstances had made people restless and drift. The crew couldn’t keep living in limbo. They needed direction. And Kastarak couldn’t keep waiting to be told whether he was permitted to lead.

“Computer, call Vice Admiral Thalor Ren, priority, through the necessary subspace frequencies.”

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
Acting Commanding Officer; First Officer and Navigations Officer

Kastarak’s computer lit up at the command, the soft blue glow of the interface casting pale reflections across his face as the system confirmed the outgoing call. The familiar Starfleet emblem shimmered into view, rotating slowly on the screen while the subspace link established its handshake with Starbase 257.

It was almost two full minutes before the emblem dissolved, replaced by the image of a craggy-faced Andorian whose age had etched faint ridges into his otherwise disciplined features. Vice Admiral Thalor Ren wore the formal grey-shouldered Starfleet uniform with the understated precision of someone long accustomed to authority. His antennae twitched once as the channel stabilized, then angled forward in sharp, deliberate focus.

Behind him, through the wide viewport of his office, Starbase 257’s curved docking arms arched away into the starfield like great metal crescents. The cold blue-white gleam of the station’s running lights reflected off the hulls of nearby ships—one Excelsior-class cruiser sliding gracefully into berth, a pair of shuttles crossing paths in the distance.

Part of the Vice Admiral’s desk was visible in the frame—sleek black alloy overlaid with scattered padds, most glowing faintly with mission orders or reports. Ren held one of them loosely in his left hand as he looked up from it, eyes sharp, assessing.

“Lt. Commander Kastarak. Good to hear from you,” he said, voice steady and resonant with the quiet authority of a seasoned flag officer. His antennae tilted slightly forward, signaling full attention. “I was going to contact you once all the preparations were finalized. I apologize for the delay—had to find a shuttle or ship transiting your sector that could handle the assignment. I have your reports here concerning Captain Maddox.”

Ren paused, glancing briefly at the padd before meeting Kastarak’s eyes again. “Has there been any change in his condition? Do you still believe he requires Starfleet Medical intervention?”

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

The vice admiral’s voice came through clearly, the signal unmarred by interference. That, at least, worked as intended. Kastarak had entertained the thought that the Rift might have disturbed the subspace channel. That this was not case was also data. Kastarak made a mental note of it. He then attuned his thoughts to process Ren’s words.

Ren had meant to call. While Kastarak didn’t doubt the truth of it, sixteen days had passed in the meantime. These were sixteen days of a crew looking for answers in every silence, of officers glancing to the command chair without knowing whose it was.

The reference to a “shuttle or ship transiting the sector” stung more than it should have. It was as if a confirmation of just how slow the machinery of a system that always seemed to respond to people by way of their paperwork. The implication was clear: Maddox’s situation was a task to be assigned to someone, a chore for some bureaucrat.

“There is no change in captain Maddox’s condition, sir” he said, evenly. “While his vitals remain stable, his cortical activity is irregular. We’ve ruled out seizure, vascular incident, and known neurotoxins. But there are phase instabilities that our systems can’t interpret. Having spoken to Medical, it is clear that the condition is beyond the capabilities of a shipboard medical team.”

“At the same time, I recognize the high-priority mission that we have. Under normal circumstances, we would have rerouted to Federation space. These are not normal circumstances, however, and thus I ask for guidance in the dilemma that we face.”

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
Acting Commanding Officer; First Officer and Navigations Officer

Ren nodded once, signaling that he had heard Kastarak’s request for guidance.

“As I said, I do apologize for the delay,” the Vice Admiral began, antennae angling slightly forward. “The other quandary we faced was the question of the Chernov’s Captaincy. It’s gone through two rotations of command rather quickly — and each time, you’ve stepped in to fill that breach with admirable steadiness.”

He paused, glancing down at the padd in his hand before setting it aside. “After some wrangling with the higher-ups — which accounts for most of this delay — they’ve agreed to my recommendation: to appoint you as the permanent Commanding Officer of the Chernov.”

Ren leaned forward slightly, his tone softening. “I know this isn’t the path you first sought, Kastarak. Your heart has always been in Medical. But command requires grit, judgment, and a sense of compassion — and you have all three. The Chernov needs you.”

He straightened, eyes steady on the screen. “Will you accept the commission?

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Kastarak had not expected this. He had expected yet another commanding officer to come. But there was logic to Ren’s proposal, even if there was some historical irony in an Andorian highlighting the compassion in a Vulcan. Only days ago, the ship celebrated Federation Day – a moment to consider how diverse species and cultures managed to build a democratic and federal interplanetary union of planets. There was thus, today, no irony, only respect.

The logic in Ren’s argument persuaded Kastarak in that instance. For the sake of the crew – his chosen family – he would have to accept.

“Yes, sir,” he said simply.

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
Commanding Officer; First Officer and Navigations Officer

Ren nodded once, his expression thoughtful. “I appreciate that this changes the career you likely envisioned for yourself,” he said, his tone carrying a quiet note of respect. “But sometimes life — and duty — call for more from us than we ever planned to give.”

He reached for a padd on his desk, fingers tapping a brief sequence of commands. “I’ll be sending through your commission and rank confirmation, along with the promotion to Captain. Congratulations — and thank you, Captain Kastarak. You’ve earned those extra pips.”

Setting the padd aside, Ren picked up another from the small stack before him. His antennae shifted forward slightly — a tell of focus. “Now, about your vacant XO position,” he continued. “In convincing the brass to approve your captaincy, I had to make one concession: the right for you to select your own Executive Officer.”

He gave a small, knowing smile. “Fortunately, they’re sending someone who should make that easier. She’s already on her way — experienced, steady, and well familiar with the Chernov.”

Ren glanced at the data scrolling across his padd. “Commander T’Aria,” he said. “I expect you’ll remember her. She’s en route aboard a runabout, accompanied by an experienced pilot and medic. They’ll assist in preparing Captain Maddox for the return trip to Earth and handle all transport logistics.”

Looking back toward the screen, Ren leaned back in his chair, the weight of bureaucracy now behind him. “Consider it one less burden to worry about, Captain. The Chernov will be in good hands.” A faint, friendly smile crossed his face. “Will this be satisfactory to you, Captain? Does it meet your concerns?”

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Kastarak heard the word before he felt its weight. Captain. He had not thought it would come like this, especially not by-passing the full rank of commander. He did not expect it now, especially, here, with Maddox still unconscious in Sickbay and Taggart having unceremoniously been removed in a shock to the entire crew. And here Kastarak was in a borrowed office that still remembered someone else’s voice. Taggart’s. Still, the admiral’s logic had been sound. And logic remained a sufficient condition. The ship needed continuity. Starfleet needed leadership. And he was already performing the role; it had merely taken sixteen days for the word to catch up to the function. He inclined his head once in acknowledgment. He did not repeat the title aloud.

Then came the second revelation. T’Aria. The name landed with precision. His thoughts did not stutter, but his body registered the internal pause. T’Aria had twice served aboard the Chernov. She had once stood beside him in uniform, and more than once against him in silence. Their deep understanding for one another, their shared grief had bonded them, before family matters forced her to return to New Vulcan. He knew she was competent, he had served under her for little less than three years. She would complement him. But this time, the dynamic would force a change. She would answer to him, whereas before, he had answered to her.

Yet he could not ignore the sense of relief in his gut, emerging quietly beneath the logic. T’Aria would understand. She would not require explanation of his restraint, or his methods, or the exact shape of his grief and the terrors at night. She would recognize what was broken here, and what could be repaired.

Kastarak allowed himself a breath. Not deeper than usual. Just deliberate.

He looked at Ren’s image on the screen, then answered with quiet steadiness.

“Yes, sir. I believe this will meet the needs of the crew. And mine.”

He did not say more.

Kastarak, Cpt
Commanding Officer

“Excellent, glad to hear it, Captain. Go with favourable winds and luck with the new mission. I am here if you need anything. Ren out.” Kastarak’s screen returned to the static Starfleet logo as Ren ended the call.

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

After the call ended, Kastarak took half a second to regulate himself. He decided to go back to the Bridge and inform the crew. Before that, he went to Taggart’s desk, and found some extra pips in the second drawer. Taggart was known for promoting crewmembers at random times, but never without cause. As such, Taggart would keep pips in his drawer, ready for deployment.

He placed the extra pips on his collar, looked himself in the mirror, before heading out to Bridge.

/END

Kastarak, Cpt
Commanding Officer