Posted by Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras (First Officer/Chief of Security) in The arrival at the Sentinel

Posted by Lieutenant Selene Kross (Chief Science Officer) in The arrival at the Sentinel

Posted by Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras (First Officer/Chief of Security) in The arrival at the Sentinel
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The hangar bay of the USS Sentinel did not hum; it rattled.
​In 2253, the edge of the Federation was reached not by smooth, automated luxury, but by the raw, vibrating muscle of Constitution-class warp engines. As the heavy atmospheric shield gates groaned shut behind the incoming shuttle, the cold air of the vacuum was replaced by the sharp, metallic tang of recycled oxygen and dilithium exhaust.
​Lieutenant Selene Kross did not wait for the pressurized ramp of the transport shuttle to fully lower. She stepped off the lip of the metal grating, her magnetic-sole boots making a definitive, heavy clack against the deck plating.
​She wore her standard-issue, insulated dark blue sciences division jacket—the hood thrown back now, revealing the stark contrast of her black hair split by severe white streaks. On her high collar, the two gold chevrons of a full Lieutenant caught the harsh overhead work lights of the bay. Under her arm, she carried a single, ruggedized equipment canister. No personal luggage. No mementos of Earth.
​The hangar bay crew was a blur of motion, hauling plasma conduits and stowing environmental gear. Still, a young Ensign in Operations Red was waiting near the safety yellow line, shivering slightly in the ambient chill.
​”Lieutenant Kross?” the Ensign asked, offering a crisp, slightly nervous salute. “Ensign Chen, logistics. Welcome to the Sentinel, ma’am. We weren’t expecting you until the next shift rotation.”
​Selene didn’t salute back; she merely gave a single, tight nod, her ice-blue eyes scanning the architecture of the hangar before locking onto Chen. Her heart rate remained a flat, unwavering 58 beats per minute, completely unaffected by the transition from warp shuttle to starship.
​”The transport window opened early due to localized ion interference,” Selene said. Her voice was clipped, lacking the standard conversational warmth most officers used to ease the tension of a new posting. “I bypassed the standard routing to maximize efficiency. Where is the Captain?”
​”Uh, Captain’s on the bridge, ma’am,” Chen said, blinking at the directness. “Standard procedure is usually to show you to your quarters first, let you unpack, maybe get acclimated to the ship’s internal dampener settings—”
​”Unnecessary,” Selene interrupted, already walking past him toward the turbolift doors. “My gear is specialized for environmental hazards, and the sensor telemetry I logged during the approach indicates a 3.2% variance in the Sentinel’s forward deflector grid. I will present my transfer orders and the data directly to Command.”
​Chen scrambled to keep up with her long, disciplined stride. “Ma’am, the Captain is currently reviewing the border patrol logs with the First Officer…”
​Selene stopped just before the turbolift sensor pad, turning her head slightly. Her expression was completely unreadable—a perfect mask of clinical objectivity.
​”Then he will appreciate a solution to a sensor degradation before we cross into unmapped space,” she said flatly.
​The turbolift doors slid open with a heavy pneumatic hiss. Selene stepped inside, the silver Starfleet insignia on her chest gleaming under the lights, and turned to face the front.
​”Bridge,” she commanded.
​As the doors closed, sealing her inside the throbbing heart of her new assignment, Selene Kross looked exactly like what she was: a scientist who didn’t care about making friends, but who would ensure every soul on the Sentinel survived the frontier, whether they liked her methods or not.

Lt. Selene Kross
Chief Science Officer
Uss Sentinel Ncc 1191

The moment the lift came to a halt, a sense of peace and calm washed over her. As the doors opened, a bald officer sat at the communications console. He looked over his shoulder, smiled, and then went back to work.

Commander sh’Kellirathras was talking over something with the helm officer. His antenna turned first, and the Andorian stood up looking over at the officer in the lift, who was their new Chief of Science. His eyes looked her over as he approached. “Lieutenant” he said. “You can enter the Bridge,” he said, looking around for Rand, she would have the details. But she was not here. He let out a small sigh. “Orders” he said holding out his hand.

Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras,
Executive Officer

Selene Kross stepped out of the turbolift the moment the doors parted, boots contacting the bridge deck with a controlled, deliberate cadence. The vibration of the ship’s core ran through the floor plating—steady, but imperfect. She registered it immediately without pause.
Her gaze swept the bridge once. No hesitation. No curiosity. Just assessment of structure, layout, and function.
She came to a full stop just beyond the lift threshold.
“Lieutenant Selene Kross.”
Her voice was flat, precise, and devoid of unnecessary inflection as she delivered her identification. One hand moved to retrieve a slim black transfer cylinder from beneath her arm, bringing it forward in a clean, economical motion.
She held it ready at chest level, posture rigid, shoulders squared, eyes forward.
“The Sentinel’s forward deflector grid is operating at a three-point-two percent variance from optimal parameters,” she stated. “Detected during final approach via shuttleborne sensor telemetry.”
A brief pause—measured, intentional.
“Deviation appears localized to the dorsal emitter lattice. Recommend immediate diagnostic sequencing before extended frontier operations.”
She remained still after speaking, hands steady on the transfer cylinder, waiting only for the ship’s systems to register the data she had already committed to them.
Lt. Selene Kross Chief Science Officer
USS SENTINEL NCC 1191

Thraz looked over the information. “Hmm Engineering maybe doing some fine-tuning but you are free to let them know” he said handing her order back to her. “I don’t see a medical, that should have been your first stop, ” he said with a smirk, “Safety first” he said. “Go get checked out, then introduce yourself to your team. Once you’re settled, contact me I’ll come to you” he said and turned back to where he was. “Welcome to the Sentinel Lieutenant”

Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras,
Executive Officer, USS Sentinel

Selene accepted the transfer cylinder back without looking down at it, securing it once more beneath her arm in a single practiced motion.
Her expression did not change at the mention of medical.
“Understood.”
The response came immediately, clipped and professional.
At the instruction to report to her department, her eyes shifted briefly toward the aft science stations before returning forward again. The bridge vibrations beneath her boots remained constant—slight fluctuations through the deck plating, likely tied to the same imbalance she had detected during approach.
“I’ll forward my telemetry analysis to engineering before proceeding to medical.”
No resistance. No argument. Simply operational efficiency.
At the Commander’s welcome, Selene gave a single short nod.
“Thank you, Commander.”
Without another word, she turned sharply on her heel and stepped back toward the turbolift, dark blue sciences jacket shifting slightly with the motion. The doors parted with a pneumatic hiss as she entered.
“Deck five. Main Medical.”
The doors closed, carrying her away from the bridge and deeper into the Sentinel.

Lt. Selene Kross Chief Science Officer
USS SENTINEL NCC 1191