Captain on the Bridge
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: Voyager. If I did, many things would look very different in the series.
A/N: Huge thanks to storyranger for constructive beta-ing this story!
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The Utopia Planitia spacedock was spreading its enormous arms far and wide, like a giant fishing net stretched between the countless stars and satellites filling the black void. This parallel was further strengthened by the handful of ships of various size docked in the structure, like some strange and precious sea creatures stuck in the tritanium netting. The Red Planet below was adding an orange hue to the ambient lights of the space station, as if it was designed to fill people with a strange mixture of alertness and excitement, typically experienced just before a great and important event.
Such as taking over the command of a ship, for the first time in one's life.
The ship in question was docked into one of the docks farthest from the center of the structure, thus less illuminated than the others; however, she seemed to radiate her own light, soft and white, even a little eerie. Despite the distance, her elegant lines were clearly visible against the black sky: the radiant main dish, the blueish deflector array, and the long, sleek warp nacelles. Although dormant, the small ship was somehow giving the impression of something fast, agile, and much more dangerous than the design suggested. Of course, all that was in the technical documentation the new captain had been studying for the past three months; however, it was only in this very moment that she suddenly felt some kind of connection to the vessel, like she had knew her for years already. She suddenly felt the anticipation of getting on board this ship, feeling it, embracing all its systems and crew, feeling the safety and comfort of being... home, in a way.
The Captain watched in silence as her shuttle circled the hull of the starship, carefully maneuvering through the invisible web of flight corridors. Eventually, she saw the shuttlebay doors open before her, and she was welcomed by the soft light in the hangar of her ship. The shuttle slowed to a halt, and finally touched the floor of the bay.
She allowed her temporary assistant to leave the shuttle first, and then she herself stepped onto the grey floor of the ship's largest room. The surface was firm and solid, but it seemed to muffle the sounds of the steps; or maybe it was her nervousness that was affecting her senses? She decided it was the latter, and she set off towards the incoming delegation of Starfleet officials.
The officials. She was not going to enjoy the ceremony, which took far too long for her taste, and was too filled with pointless military grandeur. However, as soon as she saw the Admiral looking at her with a proud smile, she cheered up immediately. She will not allow some childish impatience to affect her performance here, she owed the Admiral too much - beginning with the very fact that she was here of course, but their relations were far deeper than simple sponsorship. Had they never met, she wouldn't be half the person she was now: a scientist, a leader, a Starfleet captain, but first of all a mature, responsible, resourceful, and overall happy person. She can endure all the speeches and toasts they will throw at her; her thoughts will be fully occupied with her ship anyway.
Still, it seemed like ages before the formalities ended and she could finally have a seat in her chair. The ship wasn't going anywhere yet, but she could feel that her journey has already began. She wasn't sure where exactly it would lead her to, but she knew she would do her best. She would make everyone - the crew, Starfleet Command, and every sentient being they might encounter on their way - acknowledge her for who she really was: a strong, reliable, and kind captain of the best starship the Federation has ever known. Or something close to this, anyway.
The Admiral looked at her. Now they were alone on the bridge, surrounded by LCARS displays and viewscreens, mostly unfamiliar to anyone not prepared to serve on such a prototype. The air seemed to harmonically pulsate with multi-colored lights from controls and ambient lighting.
"I can't say how very proud I am of you Captain", the Admiral said with a smile. "Since the very beginning, I have always seen your potential for greatness. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."
The new captain smirked, confident that no third person could see them now. "I wonder if that's completely true, Admiral. Over the years, you have been less than impressed with me at times."
The Admiral waved dismissively. "Well, maybe it would be an exaggeration to say that I've always seen a future captain in you. Granted, you used to give me a hard time every now and then... However, I have always believed in your abilities, your brilliant mind, and the strength of your character. Hmm, am I starting to sound like the Acting Admiral of the Day again?"
Captain's smirk extended to a warm smile. "Under these circumstances, I call it justified."
The Admiral's hand closed on the captain's shoulder in an affectionate but strong grip. "I know you can do it. You will make a fine captain, as both an explorer and a defender of the... all the things I know you value as much as me. And your crew will love you, I am certain of that too."
Captain raised her eyebrow. "Shouldn't they rather fear my wrath? That would be in line with how you used to run things back then... But I'm sure every last crewman was totally in love with you", she added quickly, and the room was filled with laughter of two people who knew each other so well.
After a moment, the Admiral sighed. "I really need to get back to work. You are leaving in two days, and most of the crew is still down there. It's quite a commotion. I know you'll be quite busy, but if you could pop into my office some time tomorrow for a cup of coffee, I'd be absolutely delighted."
"I'll see what I can do, Admiral", the captain nodded with a warm smile. "Have fun with the delegates."
The Admiral turned towards the turbolift, but then changed her mind, pulled the captain up from the chair and gave her a brief but strong hug. "Be careful out there, please. And never forget that the people you love will always be waiting for you. Especially he will."
"I promise I won't".
After the Admiral left, she slowly moved towards the viewscreen. She studied a distant nebula, then her eyes followed a small craft heading towards the surface of Mars. She was standing so close to the screen that she could see her face reflected in it, including her cranial ridges she used to despise so much for most of her life. Then she blinked to herself and smiled boldly.
Captain Torres had a rendez-vous with the Galaxy.