get caught up in it. If this captain had no use for my honesty, then I had no use for him.
“No sir,” I said.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll be at Starbase 9 in a couple of hours. Be ready to leave as soon as we dock. I’ll have your orders for you then. You’re dismissed.” He couldn’t wait to be rid of me, I thought.
“Thank you, sir,” I said.
I went back to my cubby and packed my things. As I did, I started to wonder, could I have been this wrong about Starfleet? I had done my duty, with honor as it was defined for me, and it had led to this. Maybe I had made a mistake.
Once I finished packing, I still had over an hour, so I thought I’d find Scotty and say goodbye. He at least had been a bright spot. I found him in the Jefferies tube leading to the port nacelle.
“You’re leaving me? Who’s gonna carry my toolbox?” he said with a smile.
“Thank you for all your help,” I said.
“I should be thanking you,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure. Kind of funny, you and the captain leaving at the same time.”
“The captain’s leaving?” Not having many friends on the ship, I missed out on a lot of gossip.
“That’s the word,” he said. “Anyway, good luck to you, lad. Hope we can serve together again.”
Now I was really confused. Why was the captain bothering to get rid of me if he was leaving? It didn’t make any sense.
Shortly after we docked at Starbase 9, the crew was called to the shuttle bay. Garrovick was there with another captain, who I didn’t recognize. I had brought my duffel with me and had it at my feet.
“Attention to orders!” Tichenor shouted, and we all stood at attention. He then handed a PADD to Captain Garrovick, who read from it.
“To Captain Stephen Garrovick, commander,
U.S.S. Republic
, you are hereby requested and required to relinquish command to Captain Ronald Tracy as of this date, and report to Captain L. T. Stone of the
U.S.S. Farragut
for duty on board as his relief in command …”
Wow, I thought, Garrovick was getting a
Constitution
-class ship. That was a big step up from the
Republic.
I watched as Captain Tracy, a middle-aged, fierce-looking man, relieved Captain Garrovick. I was a little anxious and confused as to what I was supposed to do; Garrovick had told me he would get me my orders, but now he looked like he was leaving right away. Tracy turned to address the crew.
“All standing orders to remain in force until further notice,” he said. “The following officers will immediately depart
U.S.S. Republic
, for duty on board
U.S.S. Farragut
.” There was a pause, as crewmen exchanged excited looks at the possibility of getting off this garbage scow. But Tracy only read two names.
“CMO Mark Piper, Ensign James T. Kirk,” Tracy said. “Flight deck personnel, prepare shuttle bay for immediate launch. Crew dismissed.” Everyone looked at me, and I couldn’t believe it. I looked over at Captain Garrovick, who stood at a shuttlecraft with Dr. Piper. Piper exchanged a look with him and boarded the shuttle, and Garrovick looked at me. He was enjoying what he was seeing; he had planned this. I couldn’t put it all together before he tilted his head toward the shuttle, indicating I’d better get a move on. I immediately picked up my duffel, ignoring the jealous stares of my crewmates. I passed Ben Finney on my way; I wanted to say goodbye, but his stare conveyed such a pureness of hatred it chilled me, and I just kept moving. I went over to Garrovick, who stood talking with Tracy.
“Good luck, Mr. Kirk,” Tracy said. “Sorry to lose you.” He shook my hand. I was in a fog; everything was moving so fast, but I followed Garrovick onto the shuttle.
Dr. Piper sat in one of the seats at the rear of the ship. I was about to sit next to him when he stopped me.
“Captain likes to have a copilot,” he said, indicating the empty navigator’s seat next to the captain, who was manning the helm. I hesitantly moved forward.
“Have a
“No sir,” I said.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll be at Starbase 9 in a couple of hours. Be ready to leave as soon as we dock. I’ll have your orders for you then. You’re dismissed.” He couldn’t wait to be rid of me, I thought.
“Thank you, sir,” I said.
I went back to my cubby and packed my things. As I did, I started to wonder, could I have been this wrong about Starfleet? I had done my duty, with honor as it was defined for me, and it had led to this. Maybe I had made a mistake.
Once I finished packing, I still had over an hour, so I thought I’d find Scotty and say goodbye. He at least had been a bright spot. I found him in the Jefferies tube leading to the port nacelle.
“You’re leaving me? Who’s gonna carry my toolbox?” he said with a smile.
“Thank you for all your help,” I said.
“I should be thanking you,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure. Kind of funny, you and the captain leaving at the same time.”
“The captain’s leaving?” Not having many friends on the ship, I missed out on a lot of gossip.
“That’s the word,” he said. “Anyway, good luck to you, lad. Hope we can serve together again.”
Now I was really confused. Why was the captain bothering to get rid of me if he was leaving? It didn’t make any sense.
Shortly after we docked at Starbase 9, the crew was called to the shuttle bay. Garrovick was there with another captain, who I didn’t recognize. I had brought my duffel with me and had it at my feet.
“Attention to orders!” Tichenor shouted, and we all stood at attention. He then handed a PADD to Captain Garrovick, who read from it.
“To Captain Stephen Garrovick, commander,
U.S.S. Republic
, you are hereby requested and required to relinquish command to Captain Ronald Tracy as of this date, and report to Captain L. T. Stone of the
U.S.S. Farragut
for duty on board as his relief in command …”
Wow, I thought, Garrovick was getting a
Constitution
-class ship. That was a big step up from the
Republic.
I watched as Captain Tracy, a middle-aged, fierce-looking man, relieved Captain Garrovick. I was a little anxious and confused as to what I was supposed to do; Garrovick had told me he would get me my orders, but now he looked like he was leaving right away. Tracy turned to address the crew.
“All standing orders to remain in force until further notice,” he said. “The following officers will immediately depart
U.S.S. Republic
, for duty on board
U.S.S. Farragut
.” There was a pause, as crewmen exchanged excited looks at the possibility of getting off this garbage scow. But Tracy only read two names.
“CMO Mark Piper, Ensign James T. Kirk,” Tracy said. “Flight deck personnel, prepare shuttle bay for immediate launch. Crew dismissed.” Everyone looked at me, and I couldn’t believe it. I looked over at Captain Garrovick, who stood at a shuttlecraft with Dr. Piper. Piper exchanged a look with him and boarded the shuttle, and Garrovick looked at me. He was enjoying what he was seeing; he had planned this. I couldn’t put it all together before he tilted his head toward the shuttle, indicating I’d better get a move on. I immediately picked up my duffel, ignoring the jealous stares of my crewmates. I passed Ben Finney on my way; I wanted to say goodbye, but his stare conveyed such a pureness of hatred it chilled me, and I just kept moving. I went over to Garrovick, who stood talking with Tracy.
“Good luck, Mr. Kirk,” Tracy said. “Sorry to lose you.” He shook my hand. I was in a fog; everything was moving so fast, but I followed Garrovick onto the shuttle.
Dr. Piper sat in one of the seats at the rear of the ship. I was about to sit next to him when he stopped me.
“Captain likes to have a copilot,” he said, indicating the empty navigator’s seat next to the captain, who was manning the helm. I hesitantly moved forward.
“Have a
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