Taking Wing - Michael A. Martin [31]
They lapsed into contemplative, companionable silence for several minutes. Mars hove into view, growing rapidly from a ruddy marble to a broad, rust-colored disk.
“Deanna can help sort this out,” Riker said. “After all, we don’t have to come up with Titan’s dedication plaque epigram today. We still have almost two weeks of final preparations to make before we launch.”
Mars grew huge, and Utopia Planitia’s orbiting starship assembly facilities swung across the terminator into the planet’s sunward, daylit side. Floating in orbital freefall along the open space-dock facility that surrounded it was the graceful, twin-nacelled shape of the U.S.S. Titan.
Though she was of an entirely new design, one of the very first of her type to be built, Titan was by no means the most impressive ship in the fleet. A Luna-class long-range exploration vessel, Titan massed somewhere between the Intrepid-class vessels introduced nearly a decade earlier and the old Ambassador-class. And she was fast, well-staffed, and could more than hold her own in a fight, if need be. But mostly she seemed eager to glimpse what was out there.
And she’s my ship, he thought, his chest swelling with pride. My first real command.
As Vale deftly piloted the Armstrong toward Titan’s main hangar deck, Riker noted with some relief that something had changed there. He tapped a command into the panel before him, opening up a voice channel.
“Riker to bridge.”
“Bridge here, Captain,” said Jaza. “Welcome back, sir.”
“Thanks, Mr. Jaza. When did the Irrawaddy depart?”
“Admiral Ross took the runabout back to Earth several hours ago, sir.”
Riker was pleased to hear that the admirals’ visit was over. Though he didn’t exactly hold a grudge against Ross—he regarded him as an accomplished, competent officer who certainly deserved every laurel he’d earned during the dark days of the Dominion War—Riker nevertheless wasn’t anxious to spend a lot of time in the man’s presence. He hadn’t forgotten that William Ross had very nearly filled Titan’s first-officer position without consulting him first. Not that Ross’s choice of Riker’s own longtime friend and shipmate Lieutenant Commander Worf was by any means a bad decision; it simply had not been his decision.
“Thank you, Mr. Jaza. And please advise Commander Troi that our crew is now complete,” Riker said as Vale began securing the craft.
“I’m happy to hear that, Captain,” came the musical voice of Deanna Troi, which immediately brought a small smile to Riker’s face. “Welcome aboard, Christine.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Vale said, sounding somewhat uncomfortable with Deanna’s familiar tone. Maybe she’s still got some misgivings about my command structure, Riker thought. Still, he felt confident that his diplomatic officer and his new exec would end up working well together, despite the concerns that both Vale and Admiral Akaar had raised earlier.
Deanna must have been thinking along similar lines. “I think Admiral Akaar will also be delighted to hear that you’ve decided to join Titan’s crew.”
Riker’s smile collapsed like the core of a neutron star as the Armstrong’s hatch hissed open. “The admiral’s still aboard?”
“He’s coming along with us on the Romulan assignment,” Deanna said, using her most carefully neutral “poker night” tones. “In the meantime, he’ll be staying aboard Titan .”
Riker’s eyebrows rose in a manner that would have spoiled his luckiest poker night. “Commander, has the admiral been made aware that the ‘meantime’ prior to Titan’s departure will last nearly two weeks?”
“Yes, sir. He says he’s looking forward to spending that time here, so I’ve assigned him VIP quarters for the duration.”
“That’s…wonderful. See you on the bridge. Riker out.” He and Vale rose and exited the shuttlecraft.
At least it doesn’t sound as though he’s going to try to rush our departure date, he thought with no small measure of relief as he mentally scrolled through a nearly