Star Trek: Eleventh Fleet

Chapter 3: Beginning the Work

Kal stepped out a turbo-lift into a large deck with shops lining the walls. He stopped a passing girl in a yellow uniform. "Ensign, where is the replimat?"

She became alert at the sight of a captain, "Sir, uh, the replimat. It's around the corner, across from the travel bureau."

"Thank you, ensign." Kal smiled as she rushed away. It amused him how the junior officers reacted when they saw him. He never realized how much becoming a captain would change the perception he received. It also gave him a moment of pause as he considered if he acted as foolish when he was an ensign.

"Captain!" a man called to him.

Kal looked up to see a portly officer with a big smile. He approached and shook Kal's hand. "Good to see you again, sir." He had a thick British accent.

Kal returned the smile and a handshake. "Benjamin, I'm glad to see you here. I see you got that promotion, Lieutenant Commander Pestridge."

"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Ben answered.

Kal walked along with him. "When did they redesign the mall level? The last time I was here, this place was completely different."

Ben said, "About a month ago. Just before Admiral Thota retired, he wanted to attract more commerce to the area, boost the station's appeal to the traders and merchants. I doubt it did much to help that, but it spruced the place up a bit. If you had come up to the station more when you spent time on Tarven Four, you'd have noticed the construction. It started before you headed back to Earth few months back."

"I needed time away from anything Starfleet. The old family home down in the city was a good departure from my old life, at least for a while."

Ben said, "I understand. This is a Starfleet installation, though most of our traffic has been merchant trade."

Kal agreed with a nod. "How is the merchant traffic?"

"Same as usual. A few trade routes come through, most just stopping to refuel or trade one cargo for another. Since the threat of the Dominion, we have had a little more attention. We're a safe place compared to other old routes."

Kal walked toward the replimat. "You've taken good care of the place in Thota's absence."

"Thank you, sir. But, it's not a job for a Lieutenant Commander. I'm glad we have a true CO here now. You'll do a fine job."

"You have greater confidence than I. I want to rebuild old ships, not command a space station. I will rely heavily on your experience here, running things." Kal stopped at a replicator, "Orange spice tea, hot." his order materialized and he took a sip.

Ben laughed, "I will be glad to. Though now I have someone to hand the big problems to when they arise."

"I guess that's part of my new job description. Say, is that a new restaurant?" Kal nodded down the way.

Ben looked up and happily answered, "Yes. She arrived a few months back and set up shop. The Little Okinawa, the first human restaurant on the station in almost twenty years."

"The Little Okinawa?"

"Yes, she makes authentic Japanese food, particularly selections from the Okinawan Islands. Very good. I was just heading there for lunch today if you would care to join me?"

Kal sipped more of his tea. "No. I have to head out in a moment to meet a new civilian engineering chief. His ship dropped him off at the workstation in the shipyards. I need him to help me with something over here. Maybe later."

"I look forward to it, commander... sorry, Captain. It'll take getting used to." Ben gave him a quick nod and then headed for lunch.

Kal took his tea with him as he continued toward the shuttle docking bays.