Once More, Unto the Breach!

Posted on Sat Feb 14th, 2026 @ 11:58pm by Commander Katrina Chance & Captain Patricia Cooke & Lieutenant Commander Andrew Star & Lieutenant Commander Lahki Bakshi Dr & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant Alice Penrose & Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager & I-402
Edited on on Sun Feb 15th, 2026 @ 1:45am

1,007 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Ghost Starship
Timeline: 3 hours after 'To Salvage a Starship'

Patricia stepped out of the ready room as the boatswain's whistle sounded. It was time for the Missouri to get underway. Striding across the bridge to the command pit, Patricia gazed upon her empty center chair, smiling for a moment, before turning to sit in it.

"Helm, status of umbilicals?" Patricia asked.

"Umbilicals are ready to be retracted at your command, Captain." Charlie responded.

"Excellent." Patricia replied, turning to Katrina. "Shall we salvage ourselves a starship?"

Katrina allowed herself a small smile and a nod at Patricia's request. Inwardly, she was curious, and one might say eager, to see what kind of engineering devices she might find in that section, assuming it was intact of course. She turned to look over at the big chair and the woman occupying it, an officer with whom her relationship was slowly improving since the explosive last resort suggestion she had dropped over a month ago. Via her implant she stated, "All decks report ready for departure, Captain. At your leisure."

=/\=Captain, Medical reports all personnel ready to depart.=/\= Lahki chimed in from Comms in her office in Sickbay. She was currently doing duty rosters because she wasn't needed. Yet. Hopefully not until several weeks into the mission, but it was Starfleet, so it'd probably actually be ten minutes before someone dropped a spanner on their foot or something ridiculous like that.

"Let's just hope this is an easy assignment for once," Akira muttered from her place at the tactical station. "I've had it up to here with the AI bullshit and could go for something a little more routine..."

"You said it..." Patricia muttered as the turbolift doors opened, and I-402 stepped out onto the bridge.

"Calculations are complete, Captain:" I-402 reported as she moved towards the CONN station. "I shall upload coordinates of a likely present location based on current observed rate of drift into the navigation computer."

Akira shot Patricia a look that- without any words being spoken- she knew all too well meant that she still did not fully trust the I-402 hologram on their ship.

Alice tilted her head just a touch as she noted the looks and interaction. Understandably, the last mission still clung to the air, like an unsettling dream at the edge of sleep. She also hoped this would be simpler encounter. It sounded like it might even give them a chance to help their colleagues. One could hope at least. "We'll be ready, whatever the circumstances."

"Speaking of ready..." Akira muttered as she glanced back over at her station. "Tactical reports full readiness status; if we get caught out there, at least it won't be with out pants down."

"Well, that's good to know..." Patricia replied.

=/\="Engingeering to Bridge."=/\= The comms pinged, the only department that truly mattered during a launch chipped in. =/\="All systems online, Captain."=/\= Andrew couldn't wait; he'd reformed the department to peak efficiency and couldn't wait to test out military-grade engineering equipment.

"I think that's everyone?" Patricia remarked. "Helm, clear all umbilicals and mooring lines."

"Clearing all umbilicals and mooring lines:" Charlie reported. "Ready to push off at your command, Captain."

"ETA to intercept?" Patricia asked.

"According to I-402's data, the object isn't far away. We should be able to intercept within 6 hours if we take our time." Charlie stated.

"Well, let's get going, then." Patricia ordered. "Thrusters to get us clear of the station, then go to impulse."

"Engaging maneuvering thrusters..." Charlie commanded for the Missouri's thrusters to gently push the ship away from the station.

Once the Missouri had cleared the station, the Bellerophon class starship's impulse thrusters lit up red and began to push the ship forward through space.

As the Missouri moved slowly through her assigned traffic corridor, Katrina stood from her seat. It was a strange sensation, getting used to the idea of sharing responsibilities with the captain of a starship instead of being the one in the dirt, doing whatever needed to be done. But, as she watched the main viewer the woman mentally shrugged to herself. 'This is my post now.' Katrina thought.

Stepping back, Katrina retook her seat and accessed the status display on its right arm, watching as the Missouri approached the edge of the starbase control zone.

"Something on your mind, Commander?" Patricia asked once Katrina sat back down.

Katrina shook her head slightly and smiled. "It is just different, up here," she remarked softly.

"We're approaching the edge of the Starbase control zone:" Charlie reported. "Course laid in and ready to jump to warp on your command."

Patricia leaned forward in her seat.

"Take us to Warp three." She ordered. If they were that close, they wouldn't need to go very fast. "Execute."

"Warp three, aye." Charlie reported, inputting the command to bring the Bellerophon class ship to warp.

As the warp engines revved up, the nacelles rotated up into their optimal position for warp flight. Within seconds of the nacelles locking into place, the Missouri accelerated to the speed of light and well past it, leaving the starbase far behind them.

As the crew adjusted to the steady thrum of the Missouri's engines as the ship accelerated up to warp three, Patricia rose from her seat.

"Well, another day, another successful departure. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my ready room." Patricia declared, turning to Katrina. "Commander, you have the bridge."

And without further word, Patricia strode across the bridge back to the ready room, the doors swooshing open to greet her and swooshing shut again once she had stepped inside.

A Mission Post by

Captain Patricia Cooke
Commanding Officer
USS Missouri

Commander Katrina Chance
Executive Officer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Akira Kogami
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
Second Officer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Star
Chief Engineer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Commander Lahki Bakshi
Chief Medical Officer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager
Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Missouri

Lieutenant Alice Penrose
Chief Counselor
USS Missouri

I-402
Computer AI Interface
USS Missouri

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