"Just thirty seconds to arrival on DS2." The space shuttle pilot said to his passenger.
"Thank you." The blonde-haired human replied.
The human was sitting in the back of the shuttle, staring at a holographic picture stored in a necklace he wore. It was of him and his twin brother, after their thirteenth birthday. Both of them had just qualified to join Starfleet and were wearing their new uniforms. It was one of their happier days. Now, the human put the picture away and exited the shuttle once it was docked. Today marked another joyful experience with his brother.
Today was the day Zackary Martin was going to assume command of the U.S.S. Tipton, a deep space exploration vessel. He was only eighteen, making him the youngest starship captain in Starfleet history. Even if this was only part of an experiment to see how young people hold up against the stress of deep space exploration. All but one member of his crew would be young cadets that he had handpick himself. Including his twin brother, Cody Martin.
As Zack made his way through space port, he felt a mix of dread and excitement. It has been over a year since his brother went to study in a Vulcan monastery. While Cody had been smart and calm to begin with, he wondered how life with the Vulcans had affected him. Both of them needed deal with their father's death in their own way. Zack throw himself into Starfleet assignments and countless hours going through combat simulations. When he found out he had been selected for this experimental mission, he immediately asked if he could select his own crew. Zack knew no one was more qualified to be his science officer than Cody, but he was nervous about seeing his brother again. They would argue a lot as kids, but they always came through for each other in the end. Zack hoped that would never change.
Zack sat on a cushioned bench, watching starships dock and leave from a window. It was a magnificent sight to be sure. Dozens of ships of all shapes and sizes coming and going. Such wondrous creations. Zack loved traveling through space, seeing the stars, and meeting new lifeforms. Space is endless, filled with endless wonders. Along with countless civilizations that can achieve untold greatness together. These were the reasons Zack joined Starfleet. Well, that and the fact that his uniform and academy stories really impressed the ladies.
Suddenly, Zack was snapped out of his daydreaming by the sounds of a brawl. He stood up and walked toward the source. Already, a large had formed around the brawlers. After a couple minutes of pushing his way through this crowd, Zack saw who was fighting. A female Klingon with a snarling face and a male Ferengi who squealing like a pig about to be eaten by a wolf. Just as the wolf would beat the pig, the Klingon was beating the Ferengi. Zack pulled out his standard issue phaser.
"Both of you, stop!" Zack shouted, then fired a single vertical shot at the ceiling.
He made sure the intensity was on the lowest setting. That way, it would cause no damage. However, it still caught the attention he wanted. The Klingon woman turn her head to face him, with her foot still pressing the Ferengi's head the floor.
"Please, help me!" The Ferengi begged. "This crazed Klingon just attacked me out of nowhere!"
"Liar!" The Klingon woman snarled, then spat on him. "This piece of filth stole my latium, then has the gall to try to make me his servant. I should crush his skull as retribution."
"I don't know what she's talking!" The Ferengi squealed. "Please, help me!"
"Okay, both of you just calm down, alright?" Zack requested. " Now, each of you will take a turn telling me how this fight started. Let's start with you, madam."
"I came into this little cretin's bar for a good meal and a couple of drinks." She replied. "Neither was anywhere close to satisfying. Then, when I am about to pay and leave that wretched bar, I find that all my gold-pressed latinum was gone. No doubt, he stole it."
"I did no such thing!" The Ferengi said.
"What about the servant-thing?" Zack inquired.
"Well, when she said she couldn't pay, I kindly offered her an alternative means of paying me." The Ferengi said. "She only had to do some work in my bar. Pour some drinks, manage a poker game or two, etc."
"I would sooner fly my ship directly into the mouth of a black hole than work for a damn Ferengi!" The Klingon woman growled. "Now, if unless you want your head crushed beneath my boot, give me back my latinum!"
Zack sighed. "Do you have any proof that he was the one who stole your latinum?"
"He is a Ferengi." She snarled. "What more proof do I need?"
This was not good. Zack did not see any way to stop this situation from escalating. The Klingon was convinced the Ferengi had scammed her. Even though she was probably right, without proof he could not do anything. He could stun the Klingon, but that could lead to some political issues, since the crest she wore was of a high-ranked Klingon group with strong ties to the Federation. They even helped prevent a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire once. Zack also could not allow her to kill the Ferengi. What to do?
"Pardon me." Someone emerged from the crowd.
This individual handed the Klingon a sack labeled with the same crest she wore. The Klingon woman gave him a puzzled look. This figure wore a gray robe with a hood pulled over his face.
"Where did you get this?!" She demanded.
"I overheard a young Ferengi bragging to his friends about how he stole from a Klingon." The man replied. "Then, I 'retrieved' it from him, and was just about to deliver it to security."
"No need, this is mine." The Klingon woman said as she counted the latinum bars in the sack. "By the way, where is this thieving maggot right now?"
"I believe I saw him headed to docking port five." He answered.
At that, she quickly set-off in the direction of that port. The Ferengi she had been restraining immediately got up and ran in the opposite direction. Then the hooded figure revealed his face. Zack could never mistake that face. Well, except when he looked in the mirror.
"You handled this situation very well, Zack." His brother, Cody, commented. "At least, better than that incident back home, at that arcade, "Game World." Remember how you got pulled into that fight and got your nose broken?"
"Ya, but better than my arms." Zack replied with a smirk. "Or my legs. Those guys learned not to mess with a human who has a red belt in karate. Which, is now a black belt."
Cody nodded with a smile. Zack looked his brother up and down. He was wearing plain clothing with no symbols, brands, or distinct colors. His hairstyle was still the same, but he had grown a full foot and his skin was a bit pale. He was also carrying a small duffle bag over his right shoulder. No doubt, all he had in there were the same things he had taken with him to monastery when he left a year ago.
"How is Mom?" Cody asked.
"She is fine." Zack answered. "She is working on the Gamma colony. When I last spoke to her, she told me she was having a lot of fun writing new songs."
"Well, changes of scenery can have a number of positive effects." Cody replied. "And I am speaking from experience. The monastery was very helpful in relieving my grief."
"Good to hear." Zack said. "Well, let's get to our vessel. I want to get a feel for our crew."
"Didn't you handpick them yourself?" Cody inquired.
"Yes, but I didn't have enough time to personally interview half of them." Zack replied.
"Please tell me you at least interviewed that Romulan engineer?" Cody asked.
"Yes, I did."Zack replied. "Also, she is the lead engineer. Her name is Bailey Pickett, by the way. While she may be a Romulan, her parents sought refuge on Earth before she was even two years old."
"I see." Cody said. "Sorry, if that came off as … ah, what's the word?"
"Prodigious." Zack finished for him. "I understand. However, I thought the Vulcan monastery would have insisted on getting you to "rise above your emotional responses, such as grudges."
"Believe me, the monks and I tried very hard to accomplish that." Cody replied. "We made some progress, but I am human. Emotions are a permanent part of me."
"Hey," Zack saw the sadness in his brother's eyes. "We lost our father. That kind experience leaves a on people. One that never goes away. I believe that mark can either pull us down or make us stronger, depending on how we handle it."
"Yes, I have come to realize that." Cody said.
For a short while, they walked in silence. Then, Zack noticed something visible outside a window. He pointed it out to Cody. It was the U.S.S. Tipton, their new ship and home. According to the information Zack had received, she could make warp seven-point-seven, was capable of carrying over a thousand people and had the latest replicators and other relevant systems. Zack and Cody saw a shuttle delivering the last of the crew.
The crewmember who was in that shuttle was Bailey Pickett, the Romulan engineer they had been discussing. Bailey sat in the back of the shuttle, mentally going over how she intended to make friends aboard the new vessel. On her last ship, Bailey was not exactly popular. In fact, no one really spoke to her unless they had to. There is not a lot of love for Romulans in any Federation inducted planets. There is even less among the members of Starfleet. Bailey is also the only officer of Romulan origins in the entire organization. As one would imagine, she could feel rather lonely at times. However, when Bailey felt that way, she would pull out a holographic picture book of her family she took with her almost everywhere. Her favorite photo was of her one year old brother. When Bailey was not feeling lonely, she did everything she could to keep herself busy. She may not have been popular with her previous crewmen, but that did not keep her from doing her job as best she could. Bailey is not arrogant, but she does realize that she is very capable engineer.
Bailey was just finishing her thirty-fifth socializing strategy when the shuttle docked. Literally, a moment after she left the shuttle, there was a strong vibration that the entire ship must have felt. Then, an alarm went-off.
"Well, this is just great." Bailey murmured to herself. "A fine way to start the day."