Testing The Deck

Posted on Fri Nov 21st, 2025 @ 11:04am by Lieutenant Dezarac Talvon & Commander Calvin 'Cal' Maraj

1,131 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Year One: The Point of No Return
Location: Main Engineering, Deck 5B
Timeline: MD 001 - 1020 hrs

The turbolift doors parted to the steady thrum of a ship at stride. Main Engineering spread out beneath the warp core’s blue-white heartbeat, decks alive with the quiet choreography of hands that knew their panels. Cal paused on the threshold for a beat, letting the room’s rhythm settle into him—coolant hiss, soft call-and-response of status checks, the faint ozone bite that always lived in the coils.

He moved in at an easy clip, returning a few nods as crew glanced up. No inspections, no theatrics. He stopped at the rail, eyes on the intermix like a man reading weather.

“Lieutenant Talvon,” he said, voice carrying just enough to cut through the machines without competing with them. The island lilt was there, soft at the edges. “Captain Maraj.”

He offered a firm handshake. “Good to meet you properly. I know we only had the brief to go on earlier.”

He glanced around the pit, then back to Talvon. “I like to be reachable, so I came to you. If something’s off, I’d rather hear it now than later.”

A beat. “Are you getting what you need? Quarters sorted, access, tools, people? Anything Copernicus promised that didn’t make it aboard? If you need parts, overtime, or a little air cover to push through red tape, say it and I’ll move it.”

He tipped his head slightly. ““Anything you want me to know up front that I don't already know?”

Dez looked evenly at the Commanding Officer—his Commanding Officer. His eyes flashed to the offered hand. He grasped the man’s hand, unaccustomed to the personal nature of the greeting.

“Pleasure, Captain,” he said. Squaring his shoulders, he crossed his arms over his chest. This was usually the spot where he was given the ultimatum. Follow orders or get gone. They were all the same, but he was okay with it. Mostly.

“Things seem put together well,” Dez said, looking about the Engine Room. “I think I’m all set for the time being. Besides, they wasn’t in a big hurry to make me any promises.” He smiled a crooked smile, withholding the next comment that threatened to slip out. He hadn’t had good luck with the bureaucracy keeping promises.

Cal nodded, easy. “Good to hear. If that changes, you come straight to me.”

He leaned on the rail, a touch more relaxed. “Have you met your assistant chief yet—Lieutenant (JG) Baaru Liana? Sharp, practical, good under pressure.”

A small smile. “Also nice having another El-Aurian aboard—Keishara Davaris runs Security. Different department, but you’ll bump into her. She’s solid, if not a bit severe at times.”

Cal’s smile lingered. “If you don’t mind me asking—man with your miles could be doing a hundred other things for the next few centuries. What makes you stick with Starfleet?”

Dez listened. He recognized names from the duty roster, but faces were still a jumble. The short time he'd been aboard was a bit of a blur. He was sure there would be time to adapt—later, most likely. He noted the descriptions of the key crew members, paying close attention to the Chief of Security, always wanting to know the local law.

"Severe, huh?" he asked. "I like the sound of that." His face twisted in self-amusement. A long sigh escaped as he contemplated the captain's question. It was not an easily answered one. "That's a bit of a story," he answered, chuckling lightly. "You've read my record, I presume. Least, what hasn't been redacted. Needless to say, I've had a bit of a rough ride. Starfleet came in at a... bit of an interesting time for me." He laughed lightly again. "Let's just say, it behooves me to not stay in one place for long. Starship life seemed like a way to do that. Best as any, at least."

Cal’s mouth tipped. “Severe when she needs to be. Mostly she’s measured—and fair. I just wouldn't want to piss her off.” he mused.

He nodded at the rest. “I read what wasn’t blacked out,” he said, dry but not unkind. “Rough rides I understand. Starship life suits that—keeps you moving, gives you a crew to lean on when you want it.”

Cal’s mouth tipped. “Severe when she needs to be. Mostly she’s measured—and fair. I just wouldn’t want to piss her off,” he mused.

He nodded at the rest. “I read what wasn’t blacked out,” he said, dry but not unkind. “Rough rides I understand. Starship life suits that—keeps you moving, gives you a crew to lean on when you want it. While you’re here, you’ll get a clean slate and a straight deal from me.”

He let a beat pass. “I also saw the reprimands—more than most rack up, and for an El-Aurian that’s in what you’d call a short stretch.” The smile stayed easy. “You’ve had more chances than most. You’ve got another here. My ask’s simple: keep Engineering boring and tell me early if it won’t be. If anyone wants to relitigate your past, they can bring it to me.”

A small nod. “So far, I like what I’m seeing.”

Dez eyed the Captain with suspicion. He was unaccustomed to being greeted with anything but contempt. It was almost off-putting. He was prepared to deal with the typical looks of judgment, but this? He found himself speechless—and that was something that he wasn't often accused of.

"Thank you, sir," he managed to get out after a moment. "I'll try not to disappoint."

Cal’s answer was simple. “Do the work. That’s all I’m asking.”

He gave a quick, genuine nod. “Welcome aboard, Dez.”

Cal straightened from the rail. “I’ll swing back later—if anything crops up before we hit Five-One-Four, ping me direct.”

He took a step back to give him the deck. “Carry on, Lieutenant.”

With that, he turned for the turbolift, leaving Engineering to its hum and the new chief to make it his.

Dez opened his mouth to reply, but the CO was already through the door. Turning back to the Engine Room, his mind ran through the brief exchange. So far, his experience on the Moore was far from what he'd expected, and he left his expectations pretty open. Dez did a quick double take back to the door just in time to watch the Captain disappear.

"Well ain't that somethin'," he said. Shaking his head, Dez turned back to the room. He was still uncertain where he stood with the Captain—and that was a good sight better than it could have been.

 

RSS Feed