Admiral Data stood on the bridge of the new USS Holmes, a ship he had designed and commissioned and was now going to command. She was a true work of art, graceful as well as efficient. And her crew, hopefully, would perform just as well.
Data knew his first officer, Commander Reginald Barclay, from his days on the Enterprise. He had specifically requested the officer for his new flagship. Well, not quite flagship. But sister ship to the Enterprise-G, which gave her full status in the eyes of Starfleet.
Data's second officer and chief engineer would be, of course, Geordi LaForge, another old friend. But his chief of security was a new face. Although Lieutenant T'Rea had served on the Enterprise-D, it had been at a time when Data had been detained elsewhere. As with most Vulcan officers, she was very serious and highly efficient, if her Starfleet records were any confirmation.
The chief medical officer on the Holmes was none other than Doctor Beverly Ogawa, the young daughter of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa from the Enterprise. She was fresh out of Starfleet medical academy, and was also rumored to be extremely competent.
Another officer Data looked forward to meeting was Carlotta LaForge, Geordi's wife of two years. Although Data and Geordi remained close friends, Data had not yet met the woman he had heard so much about. Carlotta was, strangely enough, a security officer—not at all what Data would have guessed at being Geordi's "type". But perhaps the android was not yet such a good judge of humanity.
Data also looked forward to reacquainting himself with many of the officers of the also newly commissioned Enterprise-G. The captain, of course, Keiko O'Brien, was a very close friend of Admiral Data's, as was the first officer, Miles O'Brien.
Many of Data's other friends had moved onto high positions. Captain Worf was now in command of the USS Kirk, while Admiral Riker had the captain's chair on the Coolangatta. Riker's ex-wife, Deanna Troi, was still counseling; she was now first officer on the warbird Shiarrael. Since the Romulan alliance with the Federation, there had been much mixing of cultures aboard starships. Over a fourth of the Holmes' officers were also Romulan. Of course, many Federation citizens found the alliance hard to accept, and several planets had actually seceded because of it. There were also more than a few Romulans who had chosen to resign from the military in protest. But the relationship between the governments was very stable. There was even a rumor of a Romulan admiral joining the Starfleet command council. If it was true, Data anticipated their meeting with great diplomatic interest. Learning about other cultures was one of his favorite pastimes, and they still had so much to learn about the Romulans. The Vulcans were also especially excited—as far as a Vulcan can be excited—about the reunification. They'd been waiting for it for a long time. Data had personally witnessed, from afar, Ambassador Spock jumping up and down in excitement, although he later denied it fully, and it is a well-known fact that Vulcans never lie.