New beginnings

Posted on 06 Nov 2025 @ 9:23pm by Commander Suzanna Batenburg

592 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: After Tarvik
Location: USS Arawyn

//// SB 369 ////

Suzanna stood by the viewport of the observation deck, looking out to the Arawyn. The ship was beautiful, yet still she wondered if she had made the right decision. Part of her was terrified, yet part of her was also excited to be back on a ship, out in space. She had not been on the bridge of a starship since she returned the half-destroyed Erasmus to SB 742 all those years ago.

Logic, then and still now, dictated that she had no fault, and done the best she could. It had also been confirmed by the Starfleet inquiry in the incident. She was credited with saving as many lives as she managed to return with. Yet it never felt that way. In the years of her ELOA, she sought help from the Kohlinahr, to strengthen her control over her emotions. To better learn how to compartmentalise her thoughts and feelings, so she could function. Too often, non-Vulcans, would think that Vulcans did not have emotions, but they were mistaken. Vulcans have them, very strong emotions, so strong that they had to be tightly controlled. Vulcans’ history had shown that, before Surak brought logic and enlightenment, the planet had been full of strive and war.

The Battle for Earth had changed a lot. For everyone, especially in Starfleet. And although she had not felt ready to return, it had been the right thing to do, and it had worked. She had Admiral Blokpoel to thank for a lot, first by refusing her resignation, then giving her the opportunity to serve in a way that worked for her as well as Starfleet. And now again, it was probably time, and yet she would not have taken the step without that gentle encouragement. Deep down she loved a challenge, she always had, something else she had inherited from her father. And that is how she had decided to treat this. Her human half had accepted that, and that was a big step forward.

“Meow.”

“Meow.”

Startled Suzanna looked down and saw a small grey tigered kitten at her feet. It looked up at her with big questioning eyes, and huge grey ears.

“Meow.”

She bent down and scooped up the tiny feline, “hello, where did you come from? Where is your mother?”

“Meow.” The small kitten looked up at her and then snuggled in the nook of her arm.

Suzanna looked around, even took her tricorder to scan and didn’t see any feline life forms within 100 meters. “I don’t see your mother either, do you want to come with me instead?”

“Meow.”

///// XO quarters ////

Two crates with her belongs were already there when the doors opened and Suzanna entered with her new, tiny, feline friend. She estimated that it was perhaps three months old, long haired, and her tricorder had identified it as a Maine Coon. She put the duffel down on the desk and moved to the replicator to organise necessities for her kitten.

Ten minutes later it had eaten, drank some water and been on the litter box. Next it made itself comfortable in its new bed, which Suzanna had placed on the floor under the desk, and promptly fell asleep.

It gave her the opportunity to get settled in and unpack at least the duffel, but first she hot herself a mug of hot tea. After the unpacking, she start checking in with the various department heads, and of course sickbay and the Captain.

Cmdr Suzanna Batenburg
Executive Officer
USS Arawyn
Everything fits, otherwise we’ll make it fit!

 

RSS Feed