Better Late Than Never
Posted on Mon Jul 13th, 2026 @ 12:55pm by Captain Saelira Venn & Commander Vren'desh Son of Rukas & Lieutenant JG Tavian Rhos
Edited on on Mon Jul 13th, 2026 @ 1:03pm
1,686 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Mission 1: Through the Janus Gate
Location: USS Hermes to Bridge, USS Resolute
Timeline: MD001 - 1342 Hours
The USS Hermes was officially classified as a high-speed, long-range transport vessel, and it certainly fulfilled those duties, but only those. At the moment it tore through spacetime at Warp 9.975. She was trying to make up for lost time having encountered multiple delays along her flight path that day.
In reality, she was a glorified cylindrical bucket strapped to a pair of overpowered warp engines. A small cockpit sat up front, followed by a bunk for the two-person crew, while the rest of the ship was taken up by a large cargo bay, with the core in the very back. There were hardly any shields to speak of, no weapons at all. The Hermes was designed to get cargo and people where they needed to go, and fast. Luxuries like creature comforts, sonic showers, and even replicators were definitely not included. There weren't even enough chairs for the passengers.
Tav wound one of his arms slowly in a wide arc, trying to work out the kink in his shoulder from where he'd been leaning against the hard bulkhead for the past few hours. In his other hand was a PADD, where most of his attention was focused. The Hermes had been scheduled to rendevouz with his new ship early that morning, but with one setback after another he'd had to request the mission briefing be sent to him via encrypted subspace databurst. Not the best way to start his first day with a new ship, and Divines knew he needed to make a good impression. At least he couldn't be blamed for being tardy since that had been out of his control.
He'd read the mission briefing as soon as it had arrived, and reread it again immediately. A Pakled vessel with who-knew-what kinds of dangerous capabilities. An unstable artifact of Dominion origin. Potential navigational hazards that would require a quick and steady hand at the helm.
It sounded like fun.
Tav would have liked to pace, liked to move, but there wasn't enough space amidst the crates and personnel packed inside like a tin of Betazoid sardines. He always thought better when he was moving, or flying, and though they were technically travelling at nearly three-thousand times the speed of light it just wasn't the same if he wasn't at the helm. It would have given him something physical to do while he played catch-up on this staff meeting he had missed, or simply watched the lines of light stream past the little viewport.
This time as he glanced up from the PADD, it was just in time to see the warp field collapse and the vessel enter normal space, blurred and streaking stars resolving into pinpricks of light against a velvet black backdrop. And there, just ahead and growing larger as they approached, was the Resolute.
With an elongated, elliptical saucer gave it the look of a ship with attitude, while the swept back nacelles and glowing impulse engines promised speed he couldn't wait to try out. Her flowing lines were sleek yet strong, and the faint bluish-gray tint to the hull gave her a clean and powerful appearance. Proud running lights and radiant windows boldly highlighted this work of art and engineering. To Tav's eyes, the Sovereign-class looked like a predator straining forward. Absolutely gorgeous.
He grinned, filled with a heady mix of awe, expectation, and eagerness. Soon, she'd be his to fly.
The transport of last-minute cargo and personnel had gone swiftly, though Tav had been bouncing on his heels with impatience waiting on his turn to step into the small two-person transporter module. When at last he materialized on board the Resolute, he took a deep breath and started to get a feel for the ship. His mind reached out to pick up the general hum of emotions on board - determination, excitement, and from a few minds an undercurrent of worry. He'd nearly missed the transporter controls operator informing him and the others who had been beaming over that their belongings would be brought to their quarters.
"And Lieutenant Rhos, sir, you're expected on the Bridge," said the woman behind the transporter console with a welcoming smile.
"Thank you, Petty Officer," he gave her a quick grin and a wink, then double-timed it out of the transporter room towards the nearest turbolift. He couldn't help that he was half a day late already, but there was no point in taking any longer now that he was here.
A short ride later, and he took his first steps out onto the Bridge. His gaze immediately skipped past the duty stations that bracketed the space in the rear, and barely even registered the command stage at the center, let alone the crew already hard at work on the deck. There, proud and forward, was the helm, its displays and controls waiting to make him a part of the ship rather than just a passenger. It called to him.
"Wow..."
Saelira had been looking over a status update from Tactical when the turbolift doors opened.
She glanced up as the new arrival stepped onto the bridge, taking in the uniform, the neatly placed pips, the barely contained energy, and then the way his attention went straight past everything else to the helm.
The quiet “wow” reached her clearly enough.
One corner of her mouth lifted.
“Lieutenant Rhos,” she said from the command area. “I’m going to assume that was for the ship and not the carpet.”
There was a trace of amusement in her voice, but not enough to blunt the fact that the bridge was already at work around them. The Resolute had dropped out of warp for the transfer, and the slight change in rhythm beneath the deck plates still lingered.
“I’m told the Hermes did everything short of turning herself inside out to get you here. Welcome aboard.”
Saelira stood, her gaze flicking briefly to the helm before returning to him.
“You’ve arrived in the middle of an active intercept mission, so I’m afraid the grand tour will have to wait. If you’ve read the packet and you’re fit for duty, your station is waiting.”
"Aye, Captain!" he said brightly, and the big grin on his face and the way he swaggered down towards the helm ruined any appearence at snapping-to attention. "I'll get us underway again, by your orders."
As he approached his console, he patted the shoulder of the officer manning it in a friendly way, whispering swiftly, "Hi, thanks for covering for me. It's nice to meet you, we'll talk soon." He'd need to meet all his team as soon as he could. The two swapped positions swiftly, with Tavian touching controls with a practiced hand to log himself in.
"At the ready, Captain." He looked back over his shoulder, still smiling. "You wouldn't believe the weather in Sector 009 - biggest ion storm I've seen in years wreaking havoc on navigational sensors, forced the Hermes to impulse for four hours." No first-day jitters here, the pilot seemed at ease already. "And then after that, there were the Naussican pirates..." He shook his head with dismay, still grinning.
Vren'Desh stood next to the science console in conversation with Melody. Well stood is perhaps the wrong word. Vren'Desh didn't stand anywhere with his general physical stature, and the energy that Klingons put out there, he loomed. He did not have the greatest of scientific minds and wanted to learn all he could about whatever it was they chased after. When Rhos stepped onto the Bridge Vren'Desh did not pay him too much mind. Save to take a mental note that their new Helm Officer had arrived.
The comment about the weather is what brought Vren'Desh's attention. This was not the time for small talk, or bragging. "Mr Rhos resume intercept course and speed." He said as he stepped back into the command stage. They had been delayed long enough to pick him up, the XO did not want to delay any longer.
Without missing a beat, Tavian shifted from pirates to professionalism. "Aye, Commander. Resuming course and speed." He shifted forward in his seat, fingers gliding smoothly across the panel. It felt good, better than that even, to get to fly the ship right away. All this power beneath his fingertips, at his command. His smile was as wide as it could go. "Engaging warp drive, now."
Space ahead compressed, expanded behind as the warp bubble formed, and Resolute leapt forward like a Terran tiger dashing towards its prey. The Hermes, headed in the other direction, entered warped space as well, though it was more like a brick fired from a railgun.
Saelira let Vren’desh’s order stand.
That was part of why he was there. A bridge did not need every command echoed to prove it had been heard.
Her attention settled on Rhos as he took the helm. The grin was still there, bright as a running light, but the hands on the controls knew their work. The Resolute responded beneath them, warp field forming cleanly, deck rhythm shifting as the ship stretched herself back into faster-than-light pursuit.
New officer. New hands at the helm. No stumble.
Good.
“Thank you, Mr Rhos,” Saelira said.
She returned to the command chair, eyes moving to the forward viewer as the stars lengthened again.
“Hold intercept course for the Archanis Drift. Keep our approach smooth, and watch for navigational distortion as we close. I want predictable before I want impressive.”
A small glance towards the helm followed, dry but not unkind.
“And you can tell me about the Nausicaan pirates later.”
The Resolute drove on, the Archanis Drift waiting somewhere ahead, and the new chief flight control officer already had the ship beneath his hands.
Captain Saelira Venn
Commanding Officer
USS Resolute
Lieutenant Junior Grade Tavian Rhos
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Resolute
Commander Vren'Desh
Executive Officer
USS Resolute
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