As the Phoenix Feather fell Down

Chapter 1

'CAPTAIN'S LOG, STARDATE 58000.9. This is Admiral Fujita Diru, Captain of this ship, the USS Starlight NCC-90853. We are about to leave on our maiden voyage – a trip from the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards to starbase 58 – to pick up our First Officer, Richard Dickson. To be honest, I'm excited. It took me four years to build and design this ship, and now she is finally finished. I feel honoured that Starfleet Command has accepted my request to captain the starlight myself; I know it's not usual for an admiral to be the captain of a starship. However, they know I have never been much for desk work.'

Admiral Fujita Diru stood up from her chair in her ready room on the Starlight.

'Computer, end log.'

Fujita walked toward to the big glass windows behind her desk and glanced over at the red ball that hung in the vacuum in front of her. Mars. Fujita had spent the last two years at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, working on the Starlight – though she had occasionally visited Starfleet Academy back on Earth's San Francisco to teach classes. Before that, she had been stationed at Starfleet Headquarters and had been designing this ship with a group of skilled scientists and engineers. Now, the ship was done, and Fujita was happy to head back out into space. The freedom of the vast reaches of the black vacuum and all its his wonders had always been her home.

Fujita's combadge chirped. 'Admiral, we're all set to go', the mechanic voice of her Chief Engineer said. Fujita sighed but could not help a smile appearing on her face. She had always disliked being called Admiral, and hoped that her crew would quickly start to call her Captain.

'I'm on my way to the Bridge', Fujita responded to her officer. She thought back to when she had first met Ya'MogH Q'Ara, over ten years ago. Q'Ara had lived aboard Deep Space 9 back then, but she had been embittered, aggressive; as mixed race Bajoran, Cardassian and Klingon, she had felt left out and had often not been accepted. However, after Fujita had seen how smart and skilled the girl was – who was only thirteen at the time - and she had encouraged her to go to Starfleet Academy. And so Q'Ara had done. Now, eleven years and quite some trouble later, Q'Ara had become a mature and skilled woman, and Fujita was glad to have her on her crew as Chief Engineer. Fujita also knew that the woman still was not an easy person to be around, but so was she herself, and that was part of the reason why Fujita had requested the Engineer.

Fujita walked through the doors that separated her office from the Bridge, and looked around the command centre where her crew and that of Utopia Planitia Ship Yards were laying the last hand on her ship. Officers buzzed around the room, closing up deck plating, starting up panels and finding their positions. Fujita's gaze hit the captain's chair in the middle of the room, and she smiled.

'Admiral, a voice beamed behind her, and Fujita turned around look at her Chief Security Officer.

'B.J., can I help you with anything?' she responded. She looked at the man in front of her. He was a big, muscular man with rough, pink-brownish fur covering his entire body. He was a fine example of the Lepori, the vaguely bunny-resembling species.

'The Starlight is ready for her first voyage, Admiral.' His voice was deep but pleasant, and B.J. looked self-assure and relaxed. Fujita knew she had made the right choice to assign him as chief of Security.

'Thank you Commander, please inform everyone to get to their stations.

The man walked away, leaving Fujita alone in front of her ready room's doors. Fujita looked around the Bridge one more time, then walked over to her captain's chair and sat down. She sighed happily. She had missed being a Captain. It had really always been the only thing that could satisfy her. It was something about the eternal feeling of anxiety and stress – in a weirdly pleasant way – and being the leader of so many people, that had always appealed to her.

'Ensign Grajnor', Fujita said to her Chief Navigator, 'plot a course for starbase 58.' The Bolian officer pushed a few buttons, and Fujita directed herself to her Helmsman. 'Ensign Stacy, warp 6. Punch it.'

---

Starbase 58 was located in the Oewiri system, orbiting Oewiri II. Oewiri II was a terraformed Human colony that had existed for about one and a half century. It was inhabited by a few thousand people and was a loved holiday planet – not as popular as Risa, of course, but it was still quite famous.

Why there was a starbase located next to this not very important planet, was something that had, for a long time, questioned quite a number of people. To be frank, no one was entirely sure. There was nothing much special about Oewiri II – besides the lovely climate and beaches – and it held no important strategic position. Many people guessed that the only reason for starbase 58 was of a more personal matter; even Starfleet officers appreciated a nice holiday from time to time.

Fujita knew that this theory was not completely true, though it was a convenient advantage. The real reason was, that – at the time that the starbase was built – this planet held an important position for Starfleet Intelligence. However, even Fujita did not know the full extent of the story.

Fujita had just been transported to the starbase. She was walking through the big white corridors and looked at the stars that shone through the enormous windows. She could see Orion on the far left – shining as bright as ever – and the binary stars of the fiery Ewylk system somewhere in the middle. At the bottom of the window, the Admiral could make out a small part of the northern pole of Oewiri II. Her eyes scanned the entire length of the hallway and eventually found the light brown door at the far end. She walked toward it, absorbing the plain sight of the metal walls at her sides.

When Fujita reached the door, it opened automatically and revealed the room inside. The room looked somewhat like a mess hall with small metal tables and chairs. However, the room was empty and she could not see any replicators. The purpose of the hall was not clear to her.

Suddenly, Fujita realized that the room was not actually empty. When the Admiral had come through the doors, a man had stood up from a table in the back of the room. He walked over to Fujita, circling the tables and chair that were scattered around, and stuck out his hand.

'I'm Commander Richard John Dickson', he said, while Fujita took his hand and shook it. Fujita scanned her First Officer's face. Her eyes slit over his face with his dark hazel eyes and his greying hair, then down to his grey-red-and-black Command uniform. The man looked quite formidable. Not exactly intimidating as much as commanding, but definitely strong. She noticed the determined look in his eyes, a look she liked.

'Admiral Fujita Diru, nice to meet you.'

'Can I offer you a drink? Commander Dickson asked.

'Oh, no thanks. I'm good' Fujita answered. 'We'd better get to the Starlight.'

Dickson nodded in agreement, and Fujita tapped her combadge. 'Fujita to the Starlight, two to beam up.'

---

Commander Dickson had only been on board for a few hours when he and Fujita had gotten in their first of many arguments. Fujita had wanted to stay at Oewiri II for a day or so longer, since they did not have a mission yet at the moment. Dickson had used his right as First Officer to make an objection and had said that they needed to return to Earth, as they had been told to do by Starfleet Command.

'They won't mind', Fujita had said. 'We don't have anything to do anyway. We can better give the crew as much free time as possible now we still can, because we never know when their next moment off might be.'

'Admiral, Commander Dickson had stated, ignoring Fujitans wishes to be addressed as Captain rather than as Admiral – it made her feel as if her crew viewed her as more than them, a feeling she did not enjoy.

'That was not the arrangement we made with Starfleet Command. They expect us back', Dickson had continued,

Fujita had sighed. 'I can contact them in a minute, tell them we'll be over in a day or two.'

In the end, Dickson had given in and had left Fujita's ready room. Fujita had sat down behind the chair at her desk. Had she made the right choice to assign Dickson as Fist Officer? He had seemed like a capable officer. His record was exemplary, he had no notes of bad behaviour on his personnel file, and all his commanding officers had seemed pleased with him. Yet, she had only known him for a few hours and they had already had a disagreement about something so insignificant. Oh well, Fujita had thought. It'll get better, we all have to settle in and find our pace.