The primary Bristol bridge crew manned their stations as the Bristol approached the base at one half impulse power. Captain Freeman sat attentively in his command chair with Commander Yilaan to his right. Lieutenant Ivanovna manned the tactical station behind them. Lieutenant Commander Perriman, the eager young man who had been promoted to Chief Engineer after the departure of Commander Jevor, sat manning the bridge's engineering console. Lieutenant Hathaway sat at the helm in lieu of Lieutenant Reiv, who was still busy taking the apparition of Falinn Ehlara to its final resting place on Bajor, and escorting the retired Commander Jevor to his home planet of Andor. Ensign Todd manned the navigations console next to him.
"Starbase 38, this is Commander Cecilia Yilaan of the U.S.S. Bristol, requesting permission to dock," Yilaan notified the base.
"Permission granted, Bristol," a male voice from the base replied. "Welcome to Starbase 38. Tractor beams will engage at thirty thousand."
"Acknowledged," she replied, then turning to Lieutenant Hathaway. "Lieutenant, slow to one quarter impulse power and take us in."
"Aye sir," he replied, carrying out her orders. After a few minutes he then added, "The base's tractor beams are now on us."
"Cut power and let them bring us in," Yilaan instructed. Hathaway did as he was told and the Bristol drifted smoothly into the base, where the ship eventually docked with one of the bays.
Once the ship was secure, Freeman pushed a button on his command chair, "Captain to crew. I'm extending liberty aboard the base to anyone who wants it. We leave in twelve hours, however, so I suggest you be back aboard by that time." Freeman smiled to himself as he closed the intra-ship channel.
"You're developing a bit of dry humor, Captain," Yilaan noted.
"Developing? What do you mean?" Freeman teased. He then looked back over his shoulder as he and the first officer stood up from their command chairs. "Lieutenant, if you don't mind I'd like you to stay in charge here for now. Yilaan and I need to greet our new shipmates." Ivanovna nodded wordlessly. "The rest of you are dismissed. Stay out of trouble."
With that, the Bristol bridge crew, save Ivanovna, departed the bridge. While the others went about tasks of a personal nature, Yilaan and Freeman went to transporter room one to beam aboard the Bristol's new crew and to beam out those few who were transferring to other assignments. Upon arrival they found Transporter Chief McClellan on duty.
"Chief?" Freeman greeted her. "I'd expected everyone to be heading off the ship by now."
The chief shrugged her shoulders. "Yes sir. I opted not to take leave on the station."
Freeman thought about asking her why, but decided against it. "Has the base signalled ready for personnel transport?" Freeman asked as a couple of the Bristol's crew who were transferring arrived in the transporter room.
"They have, Captain," McClellan replied.
"Well then, I suppose we should get started," Freeman replied. He turned to the crew that were disembarking and the group thanked each other for serving aboard the Bristol and so on. They were beamed out with little additional fanfare.
"The first group of replacement personnel is ready to transport now, Captain," the transporter chief informed Freeman.
"Energize, Chief," he ordered. The first group beamed in, consisting of three Humans and one Vulcan. Freeman and Yilaan greeted them all in turn and gave them quarters assignments, pausing after the Humans had left to speak further with the Vulcan.
"Doctor T'Paya, welcome aboard the Bristol," Freeman smiled at the expressionless physician, offering her the Vulcan hand salute of greeting. "This is Commander Cecilia Yilaan, the first officer," Freeman continued, introducing Yilaan. "Commander Yilaan, Doctor T'Paya is our new Chief Medical Officer."
"It's nice to meet you, Doctor," Yilaan said, offering her the same salute.
"Likewise," T'Paya replied simply.
"Commander Yilaan, would you escort our doctor to her quarters?" Freeman suggested.
"Captain, with your permission, I think my time before our departure would be better spent preparing the sickbay," T'Paya replied bluntly.
"Very well then. Commander, please escort Doctor T'Paya to Sickbay," Freeman said.
"That isn't necessary Captain. I'm sure you and the commander have other duties to attend to, and I am familiar with the layout of Condor class starships," the doctor informed him.
"As you wish. Dismissed," Freeman replied more formally. T'Paya nodded her head and left the transporter room.
"Interesting replacement for Doctor Giovanni," Yilaan replied, referring to T'Paya's stoic qualities versus Giovanni's bubbling personality.
Freeman gave her a look, but didn't reply. "Is the next group ready for beaming, Chief?" he said instead.
"They are sir," she replied.
"Energize," Freeman ordered.
Before long, the last group of replacement personnel had beamed aboard the Bristol and had been personally greeted by the captain and first officer. Freeman and Yilaan turned to exit the transporter room. "Chief, thank you," Freeman said to Chief McClellan, who nodded in reply, as he departed.
"If I may ask, Captain, do you have any plans for the next few hours?" Yilaan asked, smiling at Captain Freeman as the two strolled down the Bristol's corridor.
"I have a meeting with the base commander in about an hour and there are some old friends from Starfleet Academy I was going to look up in the base," Freeman replied. "And yourself?"
"Nothing in particular," Yilaan replied, her smile waning just slightly; she'd hoped that Freeman would be able to join her in the holodeck for more of their medieval adventures. "How about a light meal on the starbase before your meeting?" she suggested instead.
"Certainly," the captain agreed, tapping his communicator. "Freeman to Ivanovna."
"Go ahead Captain," Ivanovna replied from the bridge.
"Commander Yilaan and I will be off ship for an hour; Yilaan will assign someone to relieve you after that time," Freeman informed her.
"Aye sir," Ivanovna said simply.
Yilaan and Freeman soon found themselves in the starbase and on their way to the base's main eatery, a place dubiously titled "The Easy Catch" by the Tellarite who operated it. The title was meant to comment on the wide array of fresh non-replicated seafood the place specialized in, imported right from the oceans of the planet below; however the place also had the reputation for finding a seller for anything, legal or otherwise, you were willing to buy. However, no one ever did anything illegal in The Easy Catch . . . and got caught.
There were plenty of other Starfleet officers in the place, so Yilaan and Freeman didn't stand out much from the crowd, though those Starfleet personnel that passed by their table nodded in greeting as they caught the eye of either officer. Eventually the two Bristol officers became very absorbed in their own conversation, centered around ship's business, and stopped noticing the passersby. At length, talk of business dried up and the two sat silently for a few moments, lost in their drinks and snacks.
The moment was interrupted by their waiter. "Can I get you something else?" the Human man inquired, his hands full of cloth and dishes.
"I think we're fine, thank you," Freeman replied, with a glance at Yilaan.
The waiter smiled and nodded. As he turned to leave, he slipped a portable document holder onto the table, seemingly by accident. It took Yilaan and Freeman a few seconds to realize what had happened before Freeman stood and tried to call after him. The man was quickly lost in the crowd, however, almost as if he'd disappeared into thin air.
With a slightly irritated expression, Freeman sat back down, pad in hand, and glanced idly at its contents. As he did so, his brow furled; Yilaan's empathic abilities weren't needed to tell her he was growing more and more concerned as he read this seemingly innocuous document. When he was done he slammed the pad down hard on the table, causing Yilaan to jump and her eyes to widen.
Freeman tapped his comm-badge, as he half-stood to look around for the waiter again. "Freeman to Commodore Reji," Freeman hailed the base commander.
"Go ahead, Captain," the soft, almost purring voice of the Caitian commodore replied.
"Commodore, I think we have a major problem. Can we move up our meeting time at all?" Freeman asked, standing fully now.
"Of course, Captain. Join me in my office now, if you like," Reji replied.
"I'll be there shortly. Freeman out," the captain replied, moving quickly to exit the bar. Yilaan trailed along behind expectantly, waiting for him to explain.
When the two were out of earshot of the restaurant, Freeman slowed slightly to allow Yilaan to catch up. "Commander Yilaan, return to the ship and recall our personnel immediately," Freeman ordered.
"Captain, I..." Yilaan started to say.
Freeman shook his head, "There's no time to explain now, please just do as I ask."
"Right away Captain," Yilaan replied formally. She pressed her comm-badge and arranged with Chief McClellan to have herself beamed aboard. While she waited for the chief to comply, she shot a quick glance after Freeman, who was making his way quickly down the corridor and out of sight around a corner. She wondered what that pad had in it that had so shaken her captain as the transporter engaged.
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