Engineer On Deck

Posted on Sun Oct 12th, 2025 @ 1:23am by Captain Michael Murphy & Lieutenant Dezkar Veen

1,627 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Children of the Stars
Location: Shuttlebay/Ready Room
Timeline: Current

Dezkar Veen awoke to the familiar drone of the shuttle's engines. Blinking away the sleep, the support craft's interior slowly faded into view — the multi-colored lights from the control panels creating a blinding aura. Stretching over the back of the seat, he craned his neck to check the chronometer on the side console.

"It's early, sir," said a tentative voice from beside him.

Dezkar looked at the pilot from his periphery. He made no reply.

"Sorry if I woke you, Lieutenant. Sometimes I get bored and don't realize I'm talking to myself," said the Pilot.

Dezkar sighed. He'd hoped to be able to sleep right through the flight so he wouldn't have to do what the young and eager pilot was attempting. Small talk. The thought of it made his stomach churn. He exhaled slowly one last time before responding to the Pilot – a young Andorian Ensign wearing the crispest of uniforms. Dez could tell that he was a true company man if ever there was.

"Mostly," Dezkar responded. "We almost there?" he asked.

"Getting close. Don't worry, Sir. I'll have you shipside shortly. Is this your first time aboard the Montana?" the pilot asked.

It was now obvious to Dez that ignoring the young pilot would be of no avail. He conceded.

"No. A ship's a ship though. Not my first posting. Likely won't be my last," Dez said.

"I see," said the pilot. "What will you be doing aboard?" he asked.

"You always talk this much?" said Dez abruptly. He could see the shock in the pilot's eyes as he looked sideways at him. The young Andorian said nothing in response, his eyes snapping back to the forward viewscreen.

"I'm an Engineer," said Dez in a rare moment of pity. "At least, that's what they tell me."

Dez was pleasantly surprised that this answer must have been acceptable to the man. They sat in silence for some time. Dez could feel himself slipping back into unconsciousness when he was torn from it by a shrill alert from the pilot's console.

"Here we are, sir," said the pilot.

Dez watched as the man's hands danced across the controls. The engines pulsed, sending the shuttle surging forward, circling around the Miranda class starship that began to fill the viewscreen. Dez leaned forward, scanning the stout ship with his eyes. She'd seen her scrapes, he thought to himself. Somehow, that made him feel at ease. Like they had something in common. If there was one thing Dez didn't trust it was a ship right out of dry-dock. He liked to see her get a few years under her before really trusting her.

"We've been cleared for approach," said the pilot.

"By all means then," responded Dez, gesturing theatrically towards the image on the viewscreen.

With a rehearsed input on the reflective console, the pilot skillfully coaxed the shuttle past the bay's containment shield and nestled it softly to the deck of the USS Montana. Entering a few final commands, the aft hatch began to hum open.

Dez slung his pack over his shoulder as he headed for the back of small craft. He turned back to the pilot. "Thanks for the lift, kid," he said.

"Of course, sir," the pilot responded. "Good luck with your new posting, Lieutenant."

"Yeah. Right," Dez said as he descended the ramp and stepped onto the deck of the Montana for the first time.

Taking a moment, Dez looked around. The shuttlebay was almost empty. He watched a team shuttling cargo about on anti-grav lifts before making his way across the deck and through the cargo doors. This wasn't the first Miranda he'd served on, so traversing the decks was a familiar journey. He made his way to the Turbolift and found himself outside the Captain's ready room in no time. Adjusting the pack on his shoulder, he ran the chime and waited.

Murphy was in the middle of going through the mission plans for what felt like the tenth time. He just wanted to make sure they were thorough. The chime rang, and he was momentarily confused. He wasn’t used to random visitors. He realized what time it was and perked up. “Come in!”

Dez edged towards the door and watched them slide apart, clearing the threshold into the room without hesitation. Moving in just far enough to allow the door to close, he adjusted the pack that was slung over his shoulder.

"Captain," he addressed the CO. "Lt. Veen reporting as ordered, Sir." He stood rigid with formality. He had been through many of these first introductions. They say first impressions are one of the keys to success. He'd never been good with first impressions. Or impressions in general. The sooner he got this out of the way, the sooner he could get onto business. But it was a necessity.

Murphy was still getting used to these introductions. It felt like they mostly started the same. This time in particular was different as he’d never met anyone as tall as Veen, nor had he ever met an El Aurian before.

“At ease, Lieutenant. Would you like to have a seat?”

Dez looked around the room. He guessed that the invitation was less of a request than it seemed. He let the pack fall from his shoulder and slumped into the chair facing the Captain's desk. Stretching out his legs, he reclined lazily, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes rested on the Captain after examining the decor of the room. He'd heard people say that you could tell a lot about a captain from the personal items he displayed. Dez never found himself to be that creative — or maybe he never expected to be around long enough for it to matter.

It no longer felt the same to Murphy. This Chief Engineer was very...casual. He wasn't bothered, but he was curious.

"Lieutenant, first and foremost, I want to welcome you to the Montana. Our Chief Engineer position has been open for longer than I'd like and it's good to have you." His eyes went to the pack Dez had carried in. "Did you just arrive?"

Dez relaxed just a touch, finding the Captain to be less formal than he was accustomed to. None of the typical 'this is your last shot' jargon. That he expected. But a welcome from the CO? 'Must not have read my record', Dez thought to himself. He met the man's eyes.

"Yes, Sir. Shuttle touched down and I came straight here. I hope you don't mind me droppin' by like this. I like to get these intro's under my belt first thing," Dez said. He continued looking around the room. "Nice place. How long you been skipper here?" he asked.

“I don’t mind at all,” Murphy answered. “It’s been almost a year. Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

Here it comes, Dez thought. He smiled crookedly, appreciative of the courtesy of asking before he asked whatever it was he was about to.

"Go right ahead, Cap," Dez responded, gesturing his approval.

“You have a surprising number of reprimands in your file. I’m not concerned about them and don’t intend to discuss them any further than asking you this.” Murphy tried to choose his words carefully. “Is there anything you need from me to help make sure things go smoothly for you here?”

Veen laughed heartily. The Captain apparently had a gift for understatement. There didn't seem to be any contempt in his words, though. He leaned back, refocusing on the CO. "Sir, you'd be the first to not be concerned about my past," he said, still laughing under his breath. "It's true. I've served on more than a few Ships that were all too happy to see me reassigned. Let's call it a ... personality mismatch. I've been all over and seen some things that would make your toes curl. Truth is, I never meant to stay in one place for long. Starfleet was a way out for me. A way out of a life that landed me right where they needed me — until they didn't. I know that's a bit vague, and it's intentional."

Dez paused, not wanting to overshare. He was cautious who he divulged certain aspects of his former life to. This man, though — he seemed to be trustworthy for some reason. He couldn't put his finger on it.

Murphy nodded, taking in the information, such that it was. "You're right, it is a little vague. But I appreciate you're willingness to share what you have. Maybe you'll find you like it here."

Dez nodded. A thought that hadn't really occurred to him. He tried not to 'like it' anywhere. In his experience, he had to keep moving. But maybe. He smiled.

"I ain't tryin' to keep ya at a distance, Sir. Hell, I have always had a thing for these Mirandas. They're pretty resilient, from a tech perspective. To tell ya the truth, I was kinda surprised to be given another shot at the Chief Engineering Officer slot. I'll try not to let you down. Best I can, at least," Dez said.

"That's all I can ask," Murphy replied. "Thank you for your time, Lieutenant Veen."

Dez feigned a salute, stepping out of the chair and lacing the pack over his shoulder again. Heading for the door, he paused as it opened with its signature 'swoosh'. He turned back to the Captain, his famed half grin forming. "Thanks, Cap. For being a real person, I guess. I'll be seein' ya around, I'm sure." With that, he slid through the door, letting it close behind him.

~~
Lt. Dezkar Veen
CEO, USS Montana

Captain Michael Murphy
Commanding Officer, USS Montana

 

RSS Feed