"A Captain's Work is Never Done"

[STSF Seiben 0]

Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco –

 

Captain Ja’Lale took a seat across from Admiral Baldwin’s massive oak desk. “Thanks for coming in, Captain. I’ll try to keep it short; I imagine you want to get started on your shore leave as soon as possible” the Admiral took out a PADD from his drawer and slid it over for Ja’Lale to read.

 

“These are your new orders, Captain. I know you just came in a few days ago, but we have an urgent situation on one of our remote colonies” Ja’Lale took the PADD and read his new orders.

 

“We’re sending you to the planet Hydra IV located in the Hydra system, about fifteen light years away from Earth. This will be an escort mission for you, as you will be accompanying the hospital ship USS Nightingale to the planet. “Apparently, there’s a mysterious outbreak of an unknown disease that’s so far killed millions of civilians.

 

“Local hospitals and medical staff are overwhelmed by the plague and asked us for assistance in treating the local populace and coming up with a potential cure. Captain, your mission is twofold, one, is to assist Nightingale in treating the populace and finding a cure, and two, Hydra IV is still recovering from a decade long civil war. Though the war is over, the area is still considered dangerous due to rouge pirates. Challenger will also be providing protection for Nightingale and the mission.

 

“You will be rendezvousing with the Nightingale at the Antares Colony a few light years away. Time is of the essence here, so we’d like you to leave as soon as repairs to the Challenger are complete in the next few days. Good luck on your mission, Captain. Hate to sound clichéd here, but millions of people are counting on you and the Nightingale on a successful mission”

 

Ja’Lale got up and nodded his thanks. “I’ll get preparations started at once then. I would’ve liked to have had a longer leave for my crew but what can you do” he shrugged. “Thank you, Admiral. We’ll try not to let you down” Baldwin smiled and walked the captain out of his office. “Well, so would I, but the Challenger is the only suitable ship for the mission that’s the closest to Hydra. But, again, good luck. If anyone can do this mission, it’s you guys. “

 

After bidding their farewells, Ja’Lale stepped into the waiting turbo lift and took it back down to ground level. Walking through the main lobby, Ja’Lale stepped back outside. It was still midday, and San Francisco was rather nice at this time of year. He wished he ‘d had more time to enjoy his stay here, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Tapping his comm-badge, he requested to be transported back to the Challenger.

 

Moments later, Ja’Lale reappeared back onto the ship where he would talk to the shift supervisors and quartermaster, to request the repairs and resupply process to be expedited further. Hopefully, though, he’d still have time for some R&R but it seems that a captain’s work is never done.