Saying Goodbye
What a mess. Captain John Harriman thought. He shouldn't be seeing open space right now; he should be seeing the wall of the deflector control room. But now, nothing remained of this room, save for a staircase, and damaged bulkheads. This is also where Captain James T. Kirk should be right now, but he isn't. Kirk saved his ship from disaster, and certain destruction, but at what cost? Yes the Enterprise B made it out of the ribbons' course, with some damage, but nothing can be more damaging to the legacy that Harriman was about to embark on, than the death of Kirk. Harriman had no idea how to begin to comfort the officers who were also mourning. What do you say to someone who has lost his commanding officer? But Captain Kirk was more than that to these men; he was a friend, their mentor. From reading the history of the early adventures of the original Enterprise, Harriman saw how the command crew was much more than colleagues; they were a family, a family that He himself would like to see in his command crew one day. But now was not the time for thinking only of himself. One of the very best ever to serve in Starfleet, a legend among legends, is gone. "C-captain Scott, Commander Chekov, I cannot begin to express my regrets on the loss of Captain Kirk." Harriman began. "W-would you like a few moments to yourselves?" No answer was given, but it was not necessary. Harriman knew they needed a few moments alone. He left the men in the control room and paced the corridor for a little while. Nothing in his years in Starfleet could have prepared him for what had happened. He was still so unsure if this was the right time for him to be given a shot at command. But of all ships to be given to him, was the new Enterprise the one for him? How could he live up to the name? Could he and would he be able to meet the challenges needed to take on the legacy that Captain Kirk and the others had begun? He wasn't sure, but Harriman knew that he somehow had to pull it together. After all, this crew was his; they look to him for leadership, for courage, for their strength. As all of these doubts rang through Harriman's head, he noticed something on the floor of the corridor, something metallic, about the size of a personal communicator. He walked over to it and picked it up. On the back, the initials: JTK seemed to be burned or scorched into the casing. It didn't take long to realize this was Kirks communicator. It must have fallen from his belt during one of the hits the Enterprise took as they tried to break free from the ribbon. Harriman thought it would be something Scotty and Chekov would want. On the other hand it might be something he could offer to begin the healing process of such a loss. As Harriman entered the control room again, he saw Scotty and Chekov bowing their heads, and whispering what he thought might be a prayer. Then they both lifted their heads as he approached them. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I found this in the corridor, it was the captains'. I-I thought one of you would want it." expressed Harriman as he handed it to Chekov "Wa', Thank ye, laddie." replied Scotty "I don't think t' captain will be needin' it anymore." "I must be leaving you for a while, I'm needed on the bridge. We should be coming into spacedock in about an hour, is there anything else I can do before then?" asked Harriman. "If we need ye for anything lad, we'll be sure to come to ye." replied Scotty. Harriman was about to leave when Commander Chekov turned and walked up to him, he put his hand on his shoulder and showed a glimmer of a smile. "Vould you please stay a minute sir?" asked Chekov Harriman nodded as he walked back to the railing and once again looked out into the heavens. "Ye know lad," Scotty began "I remember back when the captain came to me with this and wanted these initials somehow carved into it, he claimed he was always confusing his for the doctors. I could na' believe he wanted that done, so I told him: Ye canna do that sir, the communicator is made out of the same material used in the ships hull. The only way ye can carve ye initials in is with a direct phaser blast, but no ones ever done it so there's no way to know how strong of a beam Ye might even blast it t pieces. Then he gave me the look he must have given me a thousand times o'er the years, ye know the look Pavel, the one that says; I don't care how, just do it!" Scotty said "So, three days, and two repairs later, I carved his initials in this with a small focused beam. I was amazed, as was the captain, but I told him he canna lose this one because I won't do it again." he finished with a smile. "Funny you mention that Scotty," Chekov began. "I remember the time the keptin thought he did lose it. He had what seemed to be every security officer on the ship looking for it. Deck by deck, everywhere he thought he might have left it. For hours ve looked, but no luck. The keptin was about to get a new one sent up to him when Mr. Spock found it sticking out of the back of the center seat! I've never seen him turn red before, but I knew he vas embarrassed. No one moved until he spoke! He swore the whole bridge to secrecy, especially the doctor." With that, Scotty let out a small laugh, and looked towards Chekov. Harriman noticed they gave each other a similar look. Was this the same look he pictured Kirks' look towards Scotty to be? They then both turned towards Harriman as Chekov spoke. "I think I know a vay to begin to feel some closure vit the keptin." said Chekov "But give Scotty and me a chance to talk it over; it vill just take a minute sar." John walked back out into the corridor on deck fifteen and watched the door close. A few minutes later Scotty and Chekov appeared outside the door with a small bit of comfort on their faces. "Keptin Harriman," Chekov began. "May ve ask that you bring us back to the coordinates of the subspace string? Vould you also assemble your senior staff in the transporter room for a small speech from myself and Captain Scott?" "By all means, gentlemen. I'll have them assembled as soon as possible. Is there anything else you need before we begin?" finished Harriman "Thank ye lad, but that'll be all from ye." Replied Scotty As Harriman entered the turbolift to head to the transporter room ahead of Scotty and Chekov, he tapped the control panel for communications to the bridge. "Ensign Sulu, bring us back to the coordinates of the subspace ribbon, and come to a full stop, then have all senior officers report to transporter room 1." ordered the captain "Aye sir!" responded Ensign Sulu Captain Harriman was the first to arrive in the transporter room, just ahead of Scotty and Chekov, who still held Kirks' communicator in his hand. After a few brief minutes, the rest of the Enterprise B command staff entered the room. "Captain," Ensign Sulu began as she entered the room. "We have reached the exact coordinates of the ribbon as you requested." "Thank you ensign." replied Harriman "Captain Scott, Commander Chekov, you may begin." "Thank ye, sir." Scotty began "We are all gathered here to pay respects to a great man, Captain James T. Kirk. I know most of ye didn't know the captain the way we did. Some of ye were still playing on school grounds when we were saving the galaxy. But we all are here today to say goodbye to a great man. A man who has saved this fine ship from destruction.and he did it by sacrificing his own life. Something that for years, I've known in me own heart, he'd do at the very end. Now lads and lasses, let us say goodbye to our captain, our friend. Then he turned and addressed the communicator: We will miss ye sir, may the heavens be watching over ye." Chekov walked up to the transporter padd and set down the communicator gently. He walked back to Scotty's side as he looked towards the transporter operator. "If you vould please ensign, transport the keptins communicator to the location of debris from the last ship we rescued people from." requested Chekov. "Aye sir." Replied the young officer As the communicator disappeared from the padd, Harriman heard Scotty whisper something, but loud enough for him to hear "Goodbye laddie, we shall miss ye, and keep yourself out of any trouble out there too."
What a mess. Captain John Harriman thought. He shouldn't be seeing open space right now; he should be seeing the wall of the deflector control room. But now, nothing remained of this room, save for a staircase, and damaged bulkheads. This is also where Captain James T. Kirk should be right now, but he isn't. Kirk saved his ship from disaster, and certain destruction, but at what cost? Yes the Enterprise B made it out of the ribbons' course, with some damage, but nothing can be more damaging to the legacy that Harriman was about to embark on, than the death of Kirk. Harriman had no idea how to begin to comfort the officers who were also mourning. What do you say to someone who has lost his commanding officer? But Captain Kirk was more than that to these men; he was a friend, their mentor. From reading the history of the early adventures of the original Enterprise, Harriman saw how the command crew was much more than colleagues; they were a family, a family that He himself would like to see in his command crew one day. But now was not the time for thinking only of himself. One of the very best ever to serve in Starfleet, a legend among legends, is gone. "C-captain Scott, Commander Chekov, I cannot begin to express my regrets on the loss of Captain Kirk." Harriman began. "W-would you like a few moments to yourselves?" No answer was given, but it was not necessary. Harriman knew they needed a few moments alone. He left the men in the control room and paced the corridor for a little while. Nothing in his years in Starfleet could have prepared him for what had happened. He was still so unsure if this was the right time for him to be given a shot at command. But of all ships to be given to him, was the new Enterprise the one for him? How could he live up to the name? Could he and would he be able to meet the challenges needed to take on the legacy that Captain Kirk and the others had begun? He wasn't sure, but Harriman knew that he somehow had to pull it together. After all, this crew was his; they look to him for leadership, for courage, for their strength. As all of these doubts rang through Harriman's head, he noticed something on the floor of the corridor, something metallic, about the size of a personal communicator. He walked over to it and picked it up. On the back, the initials: JTK seemed to be burned or scorched into the casing. It didn't take long to realize this was Kirks communicator. It must have fallen from his belt during one of the hits the Enterprise took as they tried to break free from the ribbon. Harriman thought it would be something Scotty and Chekov would want. On the other hand it might be something he could offer to begin the healing process of such a loss. As Harriman entered the control room again, he saw Scotty and Chekov bowing their heads, and whispering what he thought might be a prayer. Then they both lifted their heads as he approached them. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I found this in the corridor, it was the captains'. I-I thought one of you would want it." expressed Harriman as he handed it to Chekov "Wa', Thank ye, laddie." replied Scotty "I don't think t' captain will be needin' it anymore." "I must be leaving you for a while, I'm needed on the bridge. We should be coming into spacedock in about an hour, is there anything else I can do before then?" asked Harriman. "If we need ye for anything lad, we'll be sure to come to ye." replied Scotty. Harriman was about to leave when Commander Chekov turned and walked up to him, he put his hand on his shoulder and showed a glimmer of a smile. "Vould you please stay a minute sir?" asked Chekov Harriman nodded as he walked back to the railing and once again looked out into the heavens. "Ye know lad," Scotty began "I remember back when the captain came to me with this and wanted these initials somehow carved into it, he claimed he was always confusing his for the doctors. I could na' believe he wanted that done, so I told him: Ye canna do that sir, the communicator is made out of the same material used in the ships hull. The only way ye can carve ye initials in is with a direct phaser blast, but no ones ever done it so there's no way to know how strong of a beam Ye might even blast it t pieces. Then he gave me the look he must have given me a thousand times o'er the years, ye know the look Pavel, the one that says; I don't care how, just do it!" Scotty said "So, three days, and two repairs later, I carved his initials in this with a small focused beam. I was amazed, as was the captain, but I told him he canna lose this one because I won't do it again." he finished with a smile. "Funny you mention that Scotty," Chekov began. "I remember the time the keptin thought he did lose it. He had what seemed to be every security officer on the ship looking for it. Deck by deck, everywhere he thought he might have left it. For hours ve looked, but no luck. The keptin was about to get a new one sent up to him when Mr. Spock found it sticking out of the back of the center seat! I've never seen him turn red before, but I knew he vas embarrassed. No one moved until he spoke! He swore the whole bridge to secrecy, especially the doctor." With that, Scotty let out a small laugh, and looked towards Chekov. Harriman noticed they gave each other a similar look. Was this the same look he pictured Kirks' look towards Scotty to be? They then both turned towards Harriman as Chekov spoke. "I think I know a vay to begin to feel some closure vit the keptin." said Chekov "But give Scotty and me a chance to talk it over; it vill just take a minute sar." John walked back out into the corridor on deck fifteen and watched the door close. A few minutes later Scotty and Chekov appeared outside the door with a small bit of comfort on their faces. "Keptin Harriman," Chekov began. "May ve ask that you bring us back to the coordinates of the subspace string? Vould you also assemble your senior staff in the transporter room for a small speech from myself and Captain Scott?" "By all means, gentlemen. I'll have them assembled as soon as possible. Is there anything else you need before we begin?" finished Harriman "Thank ye lad, but that'll be all from ye." Replied Scotty As Harriman entered the turbolift to head to the transporter room ahead of Scotty and Chekov, he tapped the control panel for communications to the bridge. "Ensign Sulu, bring us back to the coordinates of the subspace ribbon, and come to a full stop, then have all senior officers report to transporter room 1." ordered the captain "Aye sir!" responded Ensign Sulu Captain Harriman was the first to arrive in the transporter room, just ahead of Scotty and Chekov, who still held Kirks' communicator in his hand. After a few brief minutes, the rest of the Enterprise B command staff entered the room. "Captain," Ensign Sulu began as she entered the room. "We have reached the exact coordinates of the ribbon as you requested." "Thank you ensign." replied Harriman "Captain Scott, Commander Chekov, you may begin." "Thank ye, sir." Scotty began "We are all gathered here to pay respects to a great man, Captain James T. Kirk. I know most of ye didn't know the captain the way we did. Some of ye were still playing on school grounds when we were saving the galaxy. But we all are here today to say goodbye to a great man. A man who has saved this fine ship from destruction.and he did it by sacrificing his own life. Something that for years, I've known in me own heart, he'd do at the very end. Now lads and lasses, let us say goodbye to our captain, our friend. Then he turned and addressed the communicator: We will miss ye sir, may the heavens be watching over ye." Chekov walked up to the transporter padd and set down the communicator gently. He walked back to Scotty's side as he looked towards the transporter operator. "If you vould please ensign, transport the keptins communicator to the location of debris from the last ship we rescued people from." requested Chekov. "Aye sir." Replied the young officer As the communicator disappeared from the padd, Harriman heard Scotty whisper something, but loud enough for him to hear "Goodbye laddie, we shall miss ye, and keep yourself out of any trouble out there too."