Permission to come aboard, Captain?

The shuttle was approaching the USS Pier. Having been spending quite some time getting upgraded – not all system were operational, despite her status as cleared – the list of minor tweaks must have been long as a year’s worth of bad reports.

The Commander couldn’t help but smile. A familiar sight, alt last. Home again.

Browsing through the crew list, she noticed certain changes. Junior-Lieutenant Knuma had applied for reassignment, while the ships’ chief medical officer, doctor Flebb, had left for other reasons. Chief of security, Mar’k’kek, was gone as well, and the cute Andorian, Fri’gda, had moved on shortly after her own departure. Then there was the owner of Amor. That caused more than a sting.

Upon stepping on the bridge for the very first time made a certain silence sweep across the room. The Commander looked around, keeping herself balanced and appearing at ease, despite the withdrawn and neutral face. Then the Captain rose.

-          Permission to come aboard, ma’am?

-          Permission granted. Welcome back, Nomi.

The Commander finally dared a smile and the Captain beamed right back at her. Crossing the distance, she opened her arms in a warm welcome. The embrace was longer than usual. Probably not up to Starfleet protocol, but – three years and a whole lot of long distance missions made up for it. Not like any of the officers would file a complaint. Instead, more than one acknowledged the Commander with pleasant smiles, nodding gently at her before carrying on with their tasks.

It took a few days to settle in and get to know some of the new additions a bit better, as well as reconnect with old friends. The Commander knew it was not really what you would call those you served alongside with. However, on the USS Pier rank and regulation played less a part than trust and genuine co-operation.

Though not all the changes where of the bad kind: Lieutenant Cami seemed to be up for promotion soon, and Lieutenant-Commander Tabakk remained just as active as before, even with his additional duties off-ship. Lieutenant-Commander Cezzelizze was due some shore leave – well earned, as usual – and her smile rivaled only that of Captain Jek. Commandant Ratve was absent due to her family, but Admiral Teima poked her head up an early morning and wished the Commander a happy return before heading back to what must have been an endlessness list of inspections.

Lieutenant-Commander Anc’sche, another former officer, had requested her old post back, and like the Commander been accepted. It only took a chance meeting during a course for the two of them set the tone, followed by a shared shift, and the Commander knew that the Lieutenant-Commander was going to be a friend on the same level as the rest of the bridge crew.

A similar story went for Lieutenant Vibast – also an old hand. While they had only met once while the Commander was on duty and the Lieutenant on furlough, they had never actually served together – circumstances had made them bypass each other. The Lieutenant was therefore an unknown to the Commander in an otherwise flawless familiar bridge crew.

Despite all the upgrades, the ship itself remained the same. So too, had the crew. The sensors and the engines, the weaponry and the interior – all new, shiny and up to proper Starfleet standard. Only the outside hull, the name and designation number remained of the USS Pier. However, the crew had asked to avoid reassignment, and had even aided in the work on getting her up to shape. The Commander had mixed feelings regarding that – she should have been a part of it, not only coming back as the ship was ready to head out to active duty once more. Still, she was back, and just in time for the next big adventure.

Commander Nomi had barely time to recall some of the science team, Rohordra and Hayhay, before they too offered their own unique “welcome home” bit, making her secretly vowing to do that department justice in her logs.