Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Stella Gagnon (Communications Officer) in Main sim - Bridge - Return to Starbase Deep Space K-5

Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Main sim - Bridge - Return to Starbase Deep Space K-5

Glen arrived back on the Bridge a short time later. Kahuna offered the Captain’s Chair and Captain Glen sat, feeling good to back in the chair.

He made his Captain’s log and summarised the mission, and then he finished it with an unusually impassioned passage “…I never like unfinished missions or unsolved puzzles, but the Merrimack has been recalled to tackle some new and different situation instead. Those settlers had taken a big risk in coming out so far into the Milky Way without the security of a Federation membership, and it appears that they have now paid a high price for doing so. Freedom of expression; their the right to express themselves and share ideas without interference from government, and the absence of constraint, coercion, or necessity in action or choice. These are undoubtedly import things to have in a democratic society. But is freedom of expression really worth dying for? They believed it was very much worth that risk.”

Glen now turned his attention to Commodore Stone’s more recent orders. The Hromi Cluster was a cluster near the Acamar system of the Beta Quadrant and near the border with the Klingon Empire. Glen didn’t much care for Klingons, as Commodore Stone ought to know. Klingon assassins had murdered the previous Merrimack Captain, while his first Captain aboard the USS Yorktown was also killed by Klingons. He still found it difficult to accept peace with the Klingons. It came with profound complexities and real challenges that could not be overlooked. Many people continued to remain suspicious of Klingon intentions, despite the signing of the Khitomer Accords. The Klingon Empire also shows no intention of apologising for it’s previous aggression against neighbouring territories or for the physical punishment it metered out before the Accords.

“Set a course for DS K-5. Ahead Warp factor 3,” Glen instructed Lt. Dionysovitch at Helm.

Eros appeared on the bridge for his first duty shift at the Merrimack’s helm. As he slid into the seat, he was already plotting the course to K-5. A few moments later, he reported to Capt. Glen.

“Course laid in for Deep Space Station K-5 and engaging warp engines at Warp 3, sir.”

From the bridge, the deep thrum of the increasing warp engines could be felt through the soles of his boots.

Lt. (jg) Dionysovich
Helm

Kahuna excused himself from the Bridge. Once underway, it was a reasonable short journey back to the space station, but the Merrimack would have little time to spend there as a new mission already awaited them.

• Glen, CO

It was sometime later. Well to be honest a few hours of sleep, a change of uniform, fresh makeup, doing her hair and such and then a breakfast which was supposed to be an omelet with cheese and andouille sausage but had turned out somewhere along the way into something quite different. So it was that somewhat newly refreshed and somewhat satisfied that Stella found her way to the bridge as ordered.

She went straight to her station and sat at the seat there. She turned on everything, put in her earpiece and sighed as she started listening to the songs of the universe. All the different sounds of different sorts of radiation, along with the residuals of crashes and collisions. And every once in a while, a voice trying to communicate through it all.

Stella Gagnon Ltjg.