The U.S.S. Vulcan's Fury rocketed through space at warp speed. From the new New Orleans-class of frigates, it was the apex design of Starfleet's recent history. Technologically advanced thanks to the peaceful exploration directives, but powerfully armed thanks to the pivot back towards war.
Similar to other ships, it had a circular sauce design and two warp nacelles that extended above and behind the hull. The engineering section of the main hull was a shapely, smooth diamond connected directly into the saucer section. The nacelles were further to the side of the hull instead of being directly behind, nearly at the four and eight positions if it was looked at like an old-fashioned clock. In addition, two massive torpedo banks were attached to the rear of the hull- intended for widespread, covering-fire use.
The Enterprise it was certainly not.
However, that much could not be said for its command crew.
Captain Spock had settled in adequately for a man who was once anticipating a long period of leave. Kolinahr had long since been set aside as a necessary goal for the Vulcan. His duties to Starfleet, and Jim Kirk, had come first. Now, after the near-destruction of the Enterprise due to Romulan opportunism, Jim Kirk had been promoted and was off on the distant world of Bajor, leaving the promotion to captain an expected and inevitable event.
Doctor Leonard McCoy had joined him as both chief medical officer and first officer. Spock felt attachment to the human, and they had been good friends for years. Despite these facts, Spock knew there would be few other sentients in Starfleet who could adequately deal with the challenges and responsibilities of being his first officer. Doctor McCoy was available, experienced, and trusted. He was still just as curmudgeonly and sarcastic as ever, although he had managed to grow an out-of-regulation beard.
Lieutenant Commander Nyota Uhura had signed on as communications officer. Spock had not requested her presence, nor would he put her in the position if it would have been uncomfortable for her. Their past relationship, despite nearly a decade old, still felt highly contentious to him. Uhura, the consummate professional, never appeared bothered by it, and often joked about it when the topic arose.
On the topic of strained, past, relationships, Nurse Chapel had joined his crew as well. During his time under Captain Pike, they had enjoyed a certain… Dalliance, as Jim would have put it. It was messy, painful, but it was special for both of them. In point of fact, their friendship was quite possibly even stronger now because of that time and its after affects.
Hikaru Sulu, a commander now in line for his own promotion to captain, had declined the opportunity in order to continue serving with old friends. He remained an excellent and dedicated helmsman. Spock had offered him the chance to take up his one-time position as head of astrosciences, a position he'd briefly held when he transferred off the Enterprise a few years ago, but Sulu had remarked that his place was at the helm.
He had no chief engineer. The ship had been fully automated in that regard. Commander Montgomery Scott would have had, as the humans said, a field day. Spock found the automation adequate, if lacking in any scientific imagination.
That left just two positions left: Navigator and tactical officer.
The latter, Spock had assigned to Lieutenant Castell'uchi, an Andorian who had served onboard the Enterprise as a tactical advisor and science officer. For the former, however, Spock had made the particularly personal choice to promote another Vulcan.
Prior to the Battle of Bajor and the mission to Tholia, Spock had spent two years as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. As one of the last remaining Vulcans, he had felt it necessary to give back in some way, and so had taken the position of a junior professor specifically to help Vulcan candidates. It was during that time he had met an exceedingly promising young student, whose logic was sound and potential was great. She simply needed some guidance from a Vulcan who had not retreated into the same traumatized apathy and cold adherence to logic that so many of his people had gone to after the genocide.
With her distinctly non-Vulcan curly hair, stern gaze, and ever-curious mind, she primarily sat next to Sulu, manning her station with quiet contentment most days.
Ensign Saavik had great potential indeed, and selecting her for assignment had been the natural, if illogical, choice to Spock. She was young, having entered the Academy early due to exceptional scores, but he had faith in her.
For the moment, however, Saavik was far from the Vulcan captain's mind.
In the starship's conference room, he sat with Doctor McCoy, Lieutenant Commander Uhura, and Commander Sulu, discussing their current mission.
"As it stands, the Federation has had very limited contact with other life forms on the other side of the Bajoran Wormhole," Spock continued, pointing out a chart he'd drawn up for the briefing, "Those we have encountered have primarily been through third parties, such as merchants or privateers, and the meetings have been mostly economical in nature."
Spock changed the slide to the recent Starfleet Intelligence update.
"Recently, however, one of these meetings has led to first contact with a race known as the Dominion. We know very little about them, currently, other than the fact that they are reportedly a very strong national power on their side of the wormhole," Spock said, clicking through to his final slide, "Starfleet Command has ordered us to Bajor in order to make proper first contact with this Dominion. They are hoping not just to achieve a formal agreement of trade, but also potentially of alliance in order to tip the balance of power in the Cardassian War."
"So this mission is moreso about finding a military ally instead of first contact?" Sulu asked.
Spock nodded, "At this time, Starfleet Command is suspending first contact protocols. Our primary objective on this mission is to see if the Dominion would be open to a military alliance and, if so, to convince them to join on our side."
McCoy shook his head in disgust, "We get in one little border skirmish and suddenly everybody's running around like it's the damn dark ages. What ever happened to peace, exploration? Hell," The curmudgeonly doctor leaned back in his chair, "I'll take a divine being of unimaginable power who does nothing but conjure up chandeliers."
"Starfleet Command feels that-"
But Spock was cut off by his first officer, "Starfleet Command couldn't find a tribble if it hid away in the kitchen," McCoy quipped, "Our first formal contact with beings from an entirely different section of the galaxy and we're going to hand them a rifle and tell them where to point it? Are we turning into Klingons?"
Sulu and Uhura remained silent. Contentious debate between Spock and McCoy had been a common, if not crucial, part of their working and personal relationship. Since the breakup of the Enterprise's crew, however, the jabs had become less jovial and the arguments even less so.
"I, too, disagree with Starfleet's orders, Doctor," Spock conceded, the tightness in his jaw revealing his lack of patience, "But they are not without merit. Without aid, the Cardassian War shows no sign of progress for either side. Since the Council is unwilling to discuss a peace treaty and the Cardassians have balked at the idea of surrender, there are few options left to resolve the issue."
"Spock's right, Doctor McCoy," Sulu spoke up, "Sooner or later, they'll call the Vulcan's Fury into battle as well. Befriending the Dominion gives us a chance to force the Cardassians to the negotiating table."
"It still isn't right," McCoy grumbled, a sentiment shared by the others just as deeply. He crossed his arms and averted his gaze.
The silence hung heavy for a moment.
"Nurse Chapel has been getting pretty antsy about that," McCoy spoke up again, his tone softer, his eyes firmly downcast on the table, "I don't know if she can take another damned war."
"Nor would I want to impress one on her," Spock said from the head of the table, "The Klingon War was a heavy burden for many of us, Captain Pike included, to carry."
Spock spoke from a place of true pain. During his brief flirtation with Nurse Chapel, onboard the Enterprise under Pike's command, she had confided what it had been like to experience the Klingon War- the first one, not the skirmishes that had erupted between the Federation and Klingon Empire a few years prior. This War had been much more personal, and the push into Federation territory had crippled economies and lives forever. It lasted barely a year and yet had shaped an entire generation of Starfleet captains- and traumatized infinite swaths of juniour officers and civilians alike.
Nurse Christine Chapel had seen, with blood-soaked hands and innocent eyes, the worst of the war. Not on the front lines, not with a phase rifle in her hands, but in the medical tents. The butcher shops that constituted wartime medicine, even in the 'civilized' galaxy.
Spock took a moment to tap into that deep, cool center within his mind. His logic re-centered and his emotions firmly leashed again, he looked at his command staff once more. They were his closest friends, his family. Though the years had not always been kind, they were still here- still together.
An empty seat at the other end of the conference table caught Spock's eye.
Almost all of them.
"Which is why we cannot allow these negotiations to fail," Spock said with renewed resolve, "The Federation tasked us to find an ally, and we will. Not by asking them to die for us, but by showing them what it would mean to live with us and exist in a universe where the Federation still stands for the same reasons it was created a century ago."
The assorted nods amounted to their agreement.
"As an aside which I believe you may find more preferable," Spock added, pulling up a star chart map on the screen, "We will briefly detour to the Federation starbase Deep Space Nine. Ostensibly to take on supplies, I have logically come to the assumption that it will also be an enjoyable layover to reunite with our lost friends, Admiral Kirk and Chief Engineer Scott."
Smiles large and small from his friends told Spock all he needed to know about how they felt about the idea.
"That stubborn cowboy has been inconsolable since Chekov died," McCoy said, "But I bet a visit from the old crew has to put a smile even on his face."
"Especially when he sees that monstrosity you've put on your face," Uhura teased.
McCoy, genuinely, was offended, and it showed.
"C'mon, Doctor," Sulu added, "It's a bit disco fever isn't it?"
"Disco what?" McCoy asked in disbelief.
"Disco fever, it's an old Earth saying," Sulu said with a grin, "It's from the 1970's."
McCoy, incredulous, looked the man up and down, before looking to Uhura, "I can't believe this. You think I look like I'm from the blasted Eugenics age?"
Uhura covered her mouth to politely stifle her laugh.
McCoy leaned back in his seat, eyes wide, arms sagging, exasperated and defeated, "Dear Jesus, and Christine said it looked fashionable."
"I believe she was attempting to be polite, Doctor," Spock added, the deadpan in his tone earning him a sideways look from the good doctor.
"Well, gee, Spock, thanks for that observation. Next you'll be telling me we should just take Jim with us through the wormhole!"
Spock's eyebrows raised, and he began to seriously consider the suggestion, which only seemed to frustrate McCoy further.
"An excellent idea, Doctor," Spock said after a moment, "An admiral onboard will add legitimacy to our mission."
As Sulu and Uhura doubled over in fits of barely restrained laughter, McCoy shouted at Spock, "I didn't mean it literally you green-blooded Vulcan!"