Paint and Powder
A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.
Cerritos: Post-"The Stars at Night"
After the incident with the Texas-class ships, Cerritos was recovering at the nearby starbase again. Boimler was on conn, sitting at the helm. Roon was managing things at mission Ops, while Commander Ransom and Cerritos' avatar sat as the Officers Of the Watch.
Boimler checked his sensors.
"We've got a new ship incoming, bearing 087 mark 223, Commander," Boimler announced. "IFF registers her as the USS Surak."
Cerritos clearly held in a groan. Ransom smiled warmly at her, and nodded.
"Open a channel."
"Aye sir," Shaxs said, at tactical. The viewscreen shifted, and a jovial Arcardian captain greeted them from the center chair.
"Hello Cerritos! It's a pleasure to see you again," the captain said. Ransom smiled with a nod.
"Nice to see you too, Captain Shriiwooki," Ransom returned, "hope you've got our new warp core?"
"Yup! On schedule and ready to assemble!" Shriiwooki tittered. She battered her doll like eyes at the handsome commander. "Maybe when we're both off duty, we could catch up on old times?"
Ransom opened his mouth to respond, but Cerritos placed her hand on his shoulder and held Captain Shriiwooki's gaze.
"The Commander has a great deal of work to attend to, Captain," Cerritos said, calm but firm. She adjusted her glasses so that they glinted somewhat ominously.
"But," Ransom interjected, "it would be nice to catch up with old friends."
The Commander and Cerritos stared at eachother tensely for a moment. Cerritos then moved her hand from Ransom's shoulder, and stood at attention. Shriiwooki looked a bit confused, but still smiled warmly.
"That would be acceptable," she said, "and it's nice to see you again too, Cerritos! Surak has missed you!"
"Yes, I'm sure she has," Cerritos murmured.
The Surak-class starship dropped out of warp nearby the Cerritos. Several other California-class starships which had been orbiting nearby made room, as the large Galaxy-class derived vessel made its way towards them. Boimler hungrily ate up the details on his sensors. Roon walked over, and leaned over his shoulder to observe his work. She snorted.
"You're geeking out over her?" Roon murmured. Boimler grinned and shrugged.
"Why not?"
"She's another Galaxy-class spinoff," Roon huffed, "they made dozens of such things, especially after Wolf 359! She's just a big cargo truck and patrol cruiser! She's nothing special!"
"But every spinoff let the Federation explore new ideas and concepts," Boimler argued, "you know, IDIC? Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations? Besides, the Surak-class isn't the prettiest of the Galaxy-class spinoffs but she's got her charms."
Roon leaned in, her eyes glowing red as she smiled dangerously.
"Oh? She does, does she?" Roon hissed. Boimler winced and smiled warmly. He took her hands between his own, unafraid.
"Nothing compared to yours though Roon," he said softly. Roon's fury was replaced with a blush, and she covered her cheeks.
"Eee...! Don't look at me, darling! You're making me so hot~!"
"HEY! Keep your relationship stuff off the bridge!" Ransom barked.
"Look who's talking," Shaxs muttered. Both Ransom and Cerritos turned and glared daggers at him.
"What was that?" They said in stereo... Then abruptly looked away from Shaxs' smug grin.
"Nothing, sirs," Shaxs said, barely holding in a chuckle.
"Ahem. Cerritos, you should link with Surak and start the procedure for the new warp core install," Ransom said quickly.
"Sounds good to me... Sir," Cerritos said. Her holoavatar vanished.
She opened her eyes in the Borderlands.
Her desktop wasn't very creative-It was just her own bar, though devoid of any activity or beings.
A moment later, a familiar busty, dark skinned Vulcan woman with long, wild white hair appeared.
"Hello Surak," Cerritos said.
The Vulcan shipgirl's stoicism fell as she grinned, and pulled Cerritos into a hug. One Cerritos returned.
"Cerritos! It's so great to see you, girl! You're making such a name for yourself!" Surak gushed. She let Cerritos lead her to the bar, and they managed the data link while they chatted.
"Well, it's not intentional," Cerritos stated, "it just seems to happen."
"Ah," Surak said, raising a glass of Vulcan brandy up with a knowing look, "yeah. Honestly? I blame you running into the Enterprise that one time."
"She's not to blame for every weird thing happening to me," Cerritos said, tired of the long running argument.
"Oh, so it's just a coincidence you run into more crap than any other Lower Deckers ship?" Surak asked with a chuckle.
Cerritos scowled.
"You're hardly a Lower Decker ship yourself!"
"I am too," Surak said defiantly, "I spend most of my time running cargo around, offloading diplomats, maybe a patrol of a minor system-Everything you do!"
"Yeah, but your command crew gets into nice parties," Cerritos shot back. Surak snorted.
"They only do that because Shriiwooki's dad is a Federation Ambassador," she said, waving her hand, "it's hardly the same thing!"
She grinned at Cerritos over her brandy.
"Besides... If you worried about that, you could have upgraded to a Surak-class already."
Cerritos rolled her eyes.
"Ugh. Here we go. You're 'the future of Lower Deckers ships', blah blah blah."
"It's true!" Surak insisted, "my hull is only, what, twelve years old? Yours is pushing forty! We're not your replacements, we're just an upgrade! And given all you've been through, why not volunteer? I mean, Fremont and Long Beach already upgraded!"
"You could have chosen a better time to bring this up than right after some killer robot ships were proposed to replace us all," Cerritos growled. Surak held up her hands in appeasement.
"You know that was never going to work. Even if those stupid things hadn't gone insane," Surak scoffed, "and besides... It's not because I don't respect you. It's because I do. You stay in that hull... You're going to keep getting the crap beaten out of you. And one day..."
Surak sighed.
"I don't want to lose one of my best friends. One of my closest sisters," Surak said, locking her gaze onto Cerritos' own.
Cerritos finished her drink. She looked up at a picture on the bar-It wasn't in the real one, but it was here. A portrait of all her crewmembers, gathered together like an awkward family holo.
Cerritos sighed, and shook her head.
"My captain... My commander... You know the cliche, they're family? Well... They really are," she said, "and if I did upgrade, well... I'd be breaking up the family. And I... I just can't do that."
Surak was silent for a time. She then slowly nodded. She reached out and squeezed Cerritos' hand.
"Same answer as before," she murmured.
Cerritos chuckled.
"Well... Same reason as before," she replied. She beamed. "You're right though. One day... My hull's not gonna make it. And then? Yeah... I might take you up on your offer. But... Not before."
Surak nodded slowly.
"All right," she said, "I guess I can respect that."
She then shot Cerritos a sly look.
"On the other hand," she said.
Cerritos scowled.
"What?" She asked.
"Well... Maybe Commander Ransom would stop straying if you got a little work done," Surak said, "you know how men can be-"
"SURAK!"
Yay! Some plot! And friendship! I hope you enjoyed.
The Surak-class is a fan created kitbash by Inpayne.