What stood before them was perhaps one of the greatest starships of their era; second only, perhaps, to the USS Enterprise. Polished metal work reflected all of the artificial light at the docking bay, filling all of her engineers with awe, firstly at her beauty, but also at the fact that it was completed in time, and completed so well. Starfleet only dealt with the best engineers available, but creating a starship in the same league as the Endeavour or the Enterprise from scratch needed genius, not just skill. Tools in hand, they all congregated back to the conference room – with a window to view their handiwork.

Now all she needed was a kick-ass crew and we could get started.

Boston, Massachusetts

5 Jan 2245

"Paul Joshua Andrews! I haven't seen you since Christmas before last!"

A blonde haired, blue eyed woman, obviously nearing her sixties, popped out from behind one of the pillars in the airport to greet her son, back from a stint in space on what he would only ever say was 'Starfleet business'.

"Mom, you really don't need to make that much of a fuss, I talked to you on the pad"

"Talking isn't the same as seeing you, my beautiful little boy…"

Paul tried to smile as his mother clung onto him and sobbed for dear life. And as he dragged his suitcase (and overprotective mother) through the terminal to be faced with an even more enthusiastic person in the form of his father, he couldn't help but think 'God, I wish they had another kid as well as me'.

"Are you full? Room for more apple pie?"

"Mom, I'm really, really good."

"So, anything fun happen up there?" his father tentatively pointed up to the sky, as though he needed to be reminded.

"Nah. Being first officer is ok. Captain Matthews sort of knows what he's doing, so I don't really do that much... part of me wants to have some sort of challenge"

"Nonsense, you are my beautiful boy! They are lucky to have someone as clever as you on that ship!"

This time, both Paul and his dad looked at Pamela with raised eyebrows. Not that his dad wasn't proud, he just didn't worship his son as his mother did.

"Pam, you're embarrassing him"

"Oh, shut it, John, I'm just encouraging him!"

"He's 32…"

Paul got up from the sofa, where he was wedged between his doting parents, and made his way to the garage. He idly wondered whether or not his dad still kept a stash of beer in the 'faulty' (well, faulty if Pam was asking) fridge out there, like he did when he was younger. Feeling the wall (somewhat too sensuously) for the light switch, he flicked it on and made his way to the far wall, right corner, toolbox in front of the door.

"Got some xeno-whiskey in the top shelf if you want it"

He turned around to see his dad, smiling and leaning on the door frame.

"I'm good with this, thanks" he raised a brown bottle of… well, whatever it was, it looked like beer. His comm vibrated in his pocket.

"Got an email…" his eyes glanced down at the screen, "from Starfleet High Command… 'Regarding my appointment, if I should so choose to accept it, as Captain of the USS Endeavour, effective 10 January'"

Silence. They both shared glances at each other, and then the comm, each other, the comm, each other…

"OH MY GOD! PASS ME THE WHISKEY"

Needless to say, a good time was had by all that night.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

7 Jan, 2245

"I relieve you of the command of the USS Enterprise…"

"I am relieved"

"Congratulations, Captain James T. Kirk, commanding officer on the USS Enterprise."

After giving Cap- sorry- Admiral Pike a hearty handshake, Jim scanned the room happily for the people he could now call his crew. Uhura (Nyota, in case you were wondering – Jim would tell everyone in passing) was smiling and clapping him, whilst Spock applauded only for the polite amount of time beside her, before regaining the classic 'ram-rod up my ass' Vulcan composure. Chekov looked lost, but incredibly excited in the sea of red uniforms, whilst Sulu and Bones were laughing to themselves… 'Probably at my expense' thought Kirk, sniggering internally.

All of this, just for him. Now he knew what his buddy Paul would be going through in only three days' time. Then they really would have that excuse to go out and get hammered, taking in the 'sights' (mainly of nightclub floors) of San Fran. Jim sort of waved at his… 'admirers' and then, once everyone was let loose, he found Bones.

"Bonesy-boy, I'm your captain, now" he grinned, literally until you could hardly see any of his other features at all.

"Ah, I like to see that it hasn't gone to your head already, Jim."

They shared a knowing look; captain or not, Bones wasn't prepared to take any crap from this 'Iowan farm-boy', even if he was his 'bestiest best buddy-man' (as Jim professed on one of their first nights out).

10 Jan, 2245

"I appoint you Captain Paul J. Andrews, of the Starship Endeavour"

Paul smiled as it was all coming together – he was stood in front of the rows of people, all politely clapping his appointment. Heck, even Jim Kirk was in the 'audience' with his new crew. He didn't even think he'd remember or be able to get up in time, but there he was, one of his close academy mates, suited and booted (and not hung-over!).

He'd been quickly briefed on the ins and outs of the ship – its mechanics were easy enough to understand (with the textbooks) and everything was brand spanking new. Nearly all of the ships' crew had been assigned… all except some gaping holes, which Paul preferred not to think about.

At present, he didn't have a first officer. Or a Chief Science Officer. Or a Chief Engineer or Chief Medical Officer. But other than that – brilliant!