Kirok woke up quickly, knowing it was the day he was due to ship out on his ship, the USS Carlsbad, a California class cruiser. He was excited to start his first command and his first mission. He quickly took a sonic shower and got dressed in his dress uniform. He packed what things he had and made his way to the Starbase shuttlebay, where a shuttle was waiting to take him to his ship. Along the way, he encountered Lieutenant Commander Catersha, with her bag slung on her shoulder.

“Good morning Captain,” Catersha cheerfully said, giving him a huge smile.

Kirok glanced at her as he walked to the turbo lift. He raised an eyebrow.

“Good morning Cat. Why are you so cheerful today?” Kirok asked her, in an inquisitive tone.

She answered happily, “it’s a special day. I’m starting my assignment today.”

“Good for you. What ship are you posted to again?”

She looks at him with a tiny mischievous smile and hands him a PADD. Kirok, being curious about the PADD, instinctively takes the PADD, activates it and starts reading it. It showed official orders for Lieutenant Commander Catersha being posted to the USS Carlsbad, NCC-61914, as Chief Engineer, per the Starfleet Commander in Chief. Disbelief was the first look on his face as he read the orders. Just as the turbo lift arrived, one Ensign left the lift and then Kirok and Cat stepped in. She faced forward, still a big grin on her face and Kirok was staring at her.

“Why?”

Kirok managed to say to her. She turned her head and gave him a baby-like ‘innocent’ look.

“It was your wife’s idea. We had talked back in January that she was working to get you your own command and pull a string with the C&C to get me posted on your first command. An early birthday gift.”

Kirok slowly shook his head, then replied to Cat.

“My wife is always teasing me in some way. Well, welcome aboard Lieutenant Commander. I’m glad I got you now.”

Cat, giving him a peck on the cheek, replied, “thank you Captain. What is our first mission?”

The lift stopped and they both exited the lift on the main shuttle hanger. They walked into the hangar, where the Admiral waited, with her aide, next to a runabout shuttle.

“Good morning Captain,” the Admiral said, shaking his hand. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while now. That fourth pip looks good on you Kirok.” She gave him a PADD. “Your first mission parameters, Captain.”

“Good morning Admiral,” Cat politely said, offering her hand. The Admiral shook her hand as well.

“Morning, Lieutenant Commander Catersha is it? Forgive me.”

Cat gave the Admiral a friendly smile. “Yes Admiral.”

“Ahh, ok. I saw you are assigned to the USS Carlsbad too. That is a good idea. With what has been going on with all subspace comms and scanners cutoff, these are unsettling times. I need my best officers out there.” The Admiral looked back to Kirok. “I’m giving you my personal Runabout shuttle to use Captain, since we are short on them. Take care of it.”

“I’ll do my best Admiral, always do,” Kirok replied.

“I know Captain.” The Admiral shook Kirok’s hand again. Then the Admiral’s face looked serious. “Kirok, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the Thunderdragon has been officially listed as ‘Missing In Action’. Starfleet Command lost contact with Captain Rodriguez and her crew for about a month now. I tried to send search ships, but I can’t raise anyone. This damn ‘Blackout’ has all subspace technology jammed. I am so sorry, Kirok. I will do everything I can. I added all information we have on the whereabouts of the USS Thunderdragon, to that PADD”

Kirok just stared at the Admiral, shocked and felt gut punched. Catersha softly hugged him, tears rolling down her cheek. The Admiral asked if he needed time to grieve.

“No Admiral, I won’t need it because I refuse to believe she is gone.” His reply was colder than outer space and he felt his determination to harden stronger than duranium. “My wife would want me to carry out my duties.”

The Admiral gave him a compassionate look. “That is good to hear. I would say the same. Good luck out there Kirok. Be safe and come home.”

Kirok and Catersha both stood at attention as the Admiral turned to leave, her aide in tow. Kirok stood still for a minute, Cat by his side.

“Kirok, are you sure you are ok,” she asked him softly.

Kirok turned to walk into the runabout, Cat followed. An Ensign was at the pilot’s seat and started the launch sequence. The runabout lifted up and slowly slid out of the hanger and headed to where the USS Carlsbad was stationed. Kirok spent the few minutes it took to fly over there thinking of his wife, trying to not believe that she was gone. He knew that if she was gone, he could not handle that loss.

The short flight from the shuttle hanger to his ship was quiet. He spent those few precious minutes of peace to calm himself down and focus on his duties and his mission.

“I can’t worry about something I have no control over,” he whispered to himself.

Cat heard him say something. “Captain, you ok?” She asked him softly.

He looked at her and his stern looking face softened a little. He nodded.

“I’m ok Cat. Just focusing on my duties.”

He tried to convince her that he was ok, but his voice faltered and his eyes told a different story. Cat scooted closer and wrapped her arms over his shoulders, whispering to him.

“I know how you are feeling, Kirok. I’m concerned about Sophia too, but we can’t do anything about it. I’m here for you, you know that, right?”

He turned to look her in the eyes, nodding. He didn’t want to say anything, because he was afraid his voice would betray him. His eyes started tearing up. Catersha gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and they enjoyed the ride together, the pilot not aware of anything.

Several minutes later, the runabout shuttle softly landed on the deck in the shuttlebay of the USS Carlsbad. The egress ramp opened and both Kirok and Catersha stood up, looking out of the runabout, amazed to see the shuttlebay.

Kirok Skyrunner and Catersha stepped down the ramp and onto the sleek, silver deck plates of the shuttlebay of the USS Carlsbad. The soft hum of the ship’s engines and the faint scent of freshly recycled air filled Kirok’s senses as he gazed out at the rows of sleek, high-tech shuttles and workbees lining the bay.

Amazed at how incredible the shuttlebay looks, Kirok mentioned, “if the shuttlebay looks this incredible, I can’t wait to see the rest of the ship.”

Catersha commented, “I fully agree with you Kirok…I mean Captain.” She glanced at him with an apologetic look on her face.

Kirok chuckled. “It’s ok, Cat. I’m not that ‘serious, by the book’ type of officer.”

Lieutenant Commander Locke smiled as she heard Kirok’s comment. “Just wait sir, there is more to see.”