USS Nobel
McGig
Member
USS Nobel is a Galaxy-class cruiser in the Task Force 17 Expeditionary Group exploring the Delta Quadrant. Under the command of Captain Alexndra Sudari-Kravchik, this ship will be engaging in more diplomatic follow ups from USS Voyager's initial explorations.
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Giddy, but controlled.
That was the best way to describe the mental state of one Captain Alexandra T'Rin Sudari-Kravchik as she sat in the center seat of her first ever starship command.
She had commanded a couple of administrative units in her Starfleet career, headed up a couple of minor diplomatic liaison teams, but never a starship, or a crew of nearly one thousand sentient beings. But it was a task she was confident she would succeed in and one which Starfleet Command clearly felt the same way.
The USS Nobel wasn’t some new top of the line starship, but she was being tasked with some serious diplomatic endeavours in Task Force 17’s new Delta Quadrant engagements, which might explain why someone with limited starship command experience but extensive diplomatic experience had been given command. As well as an executive officer who could compliment her own skill set.
“Status report please Mr Woodrow,” Alexandra asked as the Nobel finished transiting the Barzan Wormhole with the rest of the task force around her.
“All systems nominal Captain, we’re good to proceed.”
“Inform the flagship then please Mr Woodrow. Ms…Beckman was it?” Alexandra asked of the exceedingly young and fresh face Academy graduate that was at the helm of her starship, receiving a nod in the affirmative. “Mr Beckman, please set course,” she paused to consult the small screen built into her command chair, “245 mark 012, make your speed as warp eight and engage when ready.”
“Aye ma’am, bearing 245 mark 012, warp eight.” The response was crisp, functional and to the point as the large Galaxy-class starship turned in space, the other smaller ships in the expeditionary group departing before the cruiser came to her heading, then jumped to warp in a flash herself.
“Lieutenant Woodrow, your opinion of him Commander?”
“A competent man ma’am, though I suspect we might have some teething issues with him over the next few weeks.” Jezgo said, studying a padd in hand.
Both Captain and XO had retreated to the Ready Room to discuss crew issues shortly after the ship had gotten under way, leaving the bridge in the capable hands of Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Serra. Alexandra had only interacted a few times with her Tactical officer since coming aboard ship and had left each encounter with a good opinion of the man.
The subject of her question however, Lieutenant James Woodrow, had left her with some concerns and hearing her XO mention teething problems did not help the matter.
“Elaborate if you would please.”
Alexandra was not sure of Saurian facial expressions, but was pretty sure the one she just received was exasperation. “Woodrow is competent at his job, but it took Captain Thrain a while to bring him around. He’ll do his job, but I wouldn’t expect him to be…forthcoming with initiative until he figures out what type of commanding officer you are ma’am.”
“Understood Commander. And what of that young Ensign at helm. Willow Beckman I believe.”
“Yes ma’am. Recent Academy graduate. Lieutenant S’val was supposed to be at helm for the wormhole transition but was admitted to Sickbay after a running accident involving Lieutent Garel, our resident Brikar. She recommended Ensign Beckman for her skill and study of the wormhole thanks to finishing her studies at Starbase Bravo.”
“Ah, I see. Right, now, what about Lieutenant…”
“So, I looked up the course the Captain plotted,” James Woodrow said as he turned to look away from his console and to his buddy Malcolm, who had ensconced himself in the Center seat as soon as the Commander and so-called Captain had left the bridge. “Turns nothing really important on our path except for some old junkyard that Voyager reported. Are we really, seriously going to go poking around a junkyard?”
“Captain wants to look at a junkyard, she can look at a junkyard. Her ship, her mission,” Malcolm said in response, not even looking up from his padd where he was busy using the chance to get some paperwork down. “Besides, she had those co-ordinates ready to go before we even left station Jimmy. Likely it’s the Commodore’s mission.”
“Sounds like bullshit to me. This is a Galaxy class cruiser. We’re large. We’re in charge. We should be doing something awesome, not speaking to some scrap merchant. Get a ship like the Los Alamitos or the Westminster out here to do this stuff.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow, looked up, then back to his padd. “Don’t you have some power distribution diagnostic or something to do? You should be setting a better example for our new Ensign.”
“Who says I’m not doing a diagnostic right now?” James shot back, before turning back to his console when he got no response.
After waiting a moment, Malcolm finally spoke up. “Time to destination Ensign?”
“Three days, four hours at current speed Commander.”
“To a junkyard,” James added.
“Shut up James,” Malcolm said.