Shakedown Voyage

"You will follow the orders you are given by your superiors," Devore said sternly to Ensign Shaka.

"I understand the chain of command," Shaka responded, straining to maintain a level tone. "I just thought I should make it clear that I cannot guarantee the quality of any work that I am not qualified to handle."

Boy is she obstinate! Devore thought.

"Dismissed," Devore growled slightly. "and by the way Ensign Shaka. When I speak you listen......"

"......but sir I was just saying that.....," she began interrupting again.

"Ensign!" Devore said almost yelling. "Listen to me and listen good! You will not always get the last word in. I don't know how your previous assignments were but here this ship will be run by the book and if not you will be out of here faster then the exhaust from the nacelles. Now we have gotten to a bad start, but I need you here and to perform. Your record says that you are the best slipstream specialist in Starfleet. You had better make a better second impression! Is that clear, Ensign Shaka."

"But sir....."

"Is that clear Ensign?!"

"Yes sir, " she said almost pouting.

"You are dismissed!" As she left the ready room, Devore picked up his PADD and reread Shaka's file. "Lieutenant Harris please report to my ready room."

[Acknowledged.] Grant said from somewhere on the ship.

Hmmmm. Devore thought. She reminds me of me back in my academy days, strong and rebellious. But this criminal record prior to Starfleet makes me nervous. She just had better show me more then what I just seen! Bad attitude but good grades. How can someone be like that!

He continued reading when the door chimes went off. "Enter."

"Commander you wanted to see me?" Lieutenant Harris asked as he did.

"Yes Grant. Have a seat!" Harris took the nearest chair and sat back. "Grant what do you know about this Ensign Shaka?"

"Not a whole lot sir."

"Okay let me read you what her profile says:"

"Shaka grew up in a Federation Penal Colony in New Zealand. When she was eleven, she was used as the middle man in a shady smuggling transaction on an outer planet of the Federation. The details of the incident still remain somewhat sketchy, but she was left to take the fall. Her parents visited her weekly until her release at age fourteen. When released she returned to the Andorian home world for four years, then after a rejection, reapplied to the academy and accepted, making her the first Andorian in the Academy in the past three decades.

"At the Academy, she was a reclusive. She kept to herself, then in her senior year became interested in the slipstream theory where she excelled. She studied this new propulsion full-time to become a Federation researcher with the intention to return to the Andorian homeworld with this valuable date. However, with implementation of the slipstream and the concerns that they were not perfected enough, Ensign Shaka was assigned to the USS Leviathan to perfect and minimize the dangers of the slipstream engine."

"Well Commander Devore I don't know. Why do you come to me about this?"

"Lieutenant Harris. You are my intelligence officer. I need information to know if someone is going to be an asset or a liability."

"Sir. You read it yourself. She is a wildcard, but she is the leading person on the slipstream drive. If it wasn't for that fact I say get rid of her, but we need her."

"Fine. Thank you!"

Both Commander Devore and Lieutenant Harris got up and left the ready room. Just as Commander Devore entered the Bridge he heard "Commander on Deck!"

"Okay! First rule of business! Don't do that!. I know regs say you should but as we get ready to go to the Beta Quadrant and I leave the Bridge every now and then, that will get pretty annoying. So we will do away with that. understood ?" Devore said.

The crew smiled and responded the affirmation. "Ensign? Who are you?" Devore asked Ensign Toran.

"Commander Devore. I am Ensign Toran your assistant security officer." He said almost caught off guard.

"Fine. As soon as we get underway and you are off duty bring me your orders. You seem to be a little old to be an Ensign don't you think?"

"No sir!" Toran said coldly.

Commander Devore entered his command code into the computer, and decided to take the ship out for a spin so that he could see what she could do. Toran stared down his console, ready for anything that might come his way.

"USS Leviathan to Starbase one." Devore said.

[Go ahead Leviathan!] Starbase one said. It was Admiral Ross.

"Starbase one. What is the status on the rest of my crew?"

[Commander Devore. There have been some delays, but you should have your full compliment soon]

Great! Devore thought.

"Understood!" Devore said now directing his attention to the view screen. "Helm take us out 1/8 maneuvering thrusters. Secure docking clamps, Steady as she goes Mr. Goory."

"Aye Sir."

The Leviathan slowly began pulling away from the space dock. "All hands this is Commander Devore. I want to first say welcome aboard to the Leviathan's maiden voyage. I am sure that we fulfill all the expectations of this ship's designers. However whether we do or we don't this is our ship and we will take pride in her. Commander Devore out!"

[Leviathan, you have cleared Space dock. ]

"Space dock aye! Admiral I am taking her on a shake down cruise to the outer planet and back."

[Very well Commander.]

"Ensign Goory set a course bearing 300 mark 3. Full impulse."

"Aye sir."

The Leviathan spun on its axis and accelerated. The inertial dampners kept the crew upright as the ship reached full impulse. Jupiter came first huge and magnificent shining brightly as displayed on the view screen. Within minutes, the rings of Saturn came into view. "So Ensign Toran.. what do you think?" Devore turned around and asked.

"Sir? She is a magnificent ship."

'That she is Ensign. That she is. Ensign Shaka please come to the Bridge."

[On my way.]

Saturn showed fully on the view screen as the Leviathan passed on its way to Pluto. The speed that the planets passed amazed even the veteran Commander. This is what I signed up for, he thought as Uranus came into view.

"Commander! I have a distress call bearing 335 mark 10." Ensign Toran said.

[Leviathan. We are intercepting a general distress call from the outer planet of Larris III. You are the nearest starship. Please investigate.] Starbase one said.

"Ensign Jakur. At maximum warp how soon can we get there?"

"Sir. At warp 15 we should get there in 10 minutes." Jakur said after a moment of computating.

[Good Commander. A conventional ship wouldn't have been able to get there for atleast 60 minutes at your present position. Get over there and investigate.]

"Understood. Leviathan out." Devore said just as Ensign Shaka came on the Bridge. "Ensign. Prepare the slipstream Drive. We are getting ready to use."

A smile from ear to ear formed on Shaka's face. It was about time she got to use her expertise. "Computer. Transfer engineering controls to this station." <Transferring... Transfer complete.>

"Helm. Lay in a course. Warp factor 19"

"Commander. Everything is a go! The ss drive is fully functional and on line. Whenever you are ready!" Shaka said with a sense of urgency.

"Helm. Enter the Stream!" I like that! He thought.

The Leviathan for a moment seemed to stop mid space, but as it did, the ship seemed to stretch like a rubber band. Instantaneously, the 'end' caught up with the rest of the ship and the stars whisped by.

"Unbelievable! It even looks like we are going faster!" Devore said staring in awe at the view screen!

"Yes Sir. The galaxy class starship only goes warp 10 and cruises safely at warp 7. This ship is going faster then the fastest starship we have," Ensign Shaka said as-a-matter-of-factly. Devore looked at Shaka then looked away.

"Ensign Jakur. As soon as the source of the distress comes into visual range I want it displayed." Devore said.

"Ensign Toran, prepare the tractor beam just in case."

"Aye sir."

"Commander Devore to sick bay!" Devore said. Then he remembered that he doesn't have a medical officer at the present time. "Lieutenant Harris, remind me to inform Admiral Harris I need a medical officer before we actually ship off
for our mission."

"Sir with all due respect, you are treating me like a first officer. Am I one? Harris asked.

"Lieutenant What is the rank of the majority of the crew on board the Leviathan?"

"Ensigns sir."

"And you are......?" He paused. "If you don't want the duty and responsibilities of the rank I might be able to find someone else."

"That won't be necessary sir."

"Good! Show me what you've got and we'll see about first officer, but till that time, I need someone to help and you are the next one in line- till you are killed or I find someone else. Understood?"

"Clearly"

"Commander, Larris III in visual range." Jakur said.

"Good. Ensign Goory take us out of warp and drop us to 1/3 impulse. Ensign Shaka... status report on the ss drive."

"Sir.. operating well within normal parameters."

"Great!"

A planet appeared on the view screen. It was small, as small as the Earth's moon, but lush with life. Water covered the planet, but only 1/3 of the planet seemed to be land. 3 continents actually made up the land mass of the planet
but didn't house any form of humanoid life. The distress call puzzled Devore. No indigenous life, but a distress call?

"Commander, the distress call is actually originating above the surface in orbit on the far side. Actually the distress call is weakening now, so that may mean that the call is coming from something in orbit." Toran said.

"Very Well. Ensign Goory, set course for the far side of the planet," Devore ordered.

"Aye. Sir!"

The Leviathan quickly whisked around Larris III and in the view screen, Devore saw an orbiting Starfleet space station. It looked like it was still being constructed. Just off the starboard side of the space station he saw a ship about 1/3 the size of the Leviathan firing on it. The configuration reminded him of a Teorian battle cruiser, but the phaser fire looked to be as powerful as the Leviathan's. The Teorians were a race of nomads who traveled the galaxy in search of planets to settle. It looks as if they had their mind on settling here, but Starfleet had all ready staked their claim.

"Commander, the space station looks like it can't take much more of that. Life support system are critical," Jakur said.

Devore turned to look at Toran, "Old man, you about ready to show what you have learned."

Toran glared at the Commander, "YES SIR!" He said coldly. Then he thought, mental note to discuss that with the young upstart.

"Phaser banks charged, quantum torpedoes 1 and 3 loaded and ready!"

"Very well. Ensign, bring me across the face of that ship drawing their fire. Shaka reroute available power to shields. Shields up, red alert!" Devore said.

The Leviathan powered-up and accelerated just between the ship and the station. Just as the Leviathan interdicted, the enemy vessel fired upon her. Now the Leviathan stood between the station and the enemy ship.

"Shields holding, weapons ready!" Toran said.

"Open hailing frequencies." Devore yelled standing up. "Unknown vessel. This is Commander Marcus Devore of the Federation Starship Leviathan. You are hereby ordered to cease firing upon this federation space station or risk being fired upon."

Without answering the ship opened fire again on the Leviathan this time directing its firepower to the weapons array. Little did they know that Shaka had rerouted shield power to encompass the warp engines and the weapons array.

"I take that to be a no!" Devore said with smile. A fight. I love it. "Ensign fire a warning blast to their weapons array."

"Yes sir." The phaser fire pulsed from the undamaged weapons array and hit the enemy ship. A small explosion was seen coming from the hull of the vessel. "I am sorry sir. Didn't realize the power of our phasers."

"No problem Toran!"

The enemy vessel turned aft and warped out of the area.

"Very well done crew," Devore said walking over to Shaka. He said softly, "Ensign, Your second impression has been impressive. Good work protecting the weapons array!"

Shaka turned to him and smiled, "Just trying to do my job!"

"You've done just fine." Devore said going to the Captain's chair. Kind a cute if you can get used to the bluish tint and the antennae.