Captain Mei'konda Delano - Welcoming back an Old Friend

[Mei'konda Delano]

(( Orbital-Alpha Space Station, Docking Bay 19, in orbit of Shemsh - 28 days after the beginning of shore leave. ))

Mei’konda had beamed up directly from the surface of the planet to the only functional transporter room of what would be near one hundred personnel and cargo transporters, once the roughly half complete space station was finished, which it was slated to be at the end of the year. A suitable way to end the twenty fourth century and begin the twenty fifth, the Caitian mused, with both a symbolic and a physical new beginning in the Par’tha Expanse.

In the several-decks worth of travel between the transporter pad and the docking bay, Mei’konda had needed to squeeze past innumerable enlisted crew, Starfleet officers, and civilian work force members as they toiled away on the massive Jupiter-style station. On the outside, huge construction vessels that had arrived in the second wave of colony transports were attached like massive insects to its exterior, reinforcing its still vulnerable structure with immensely powerful structural integrity fields and physical structures.

They weren’t what Mei’konda was here for today, however. He was here to welcome back an old friend.

The Caitian’s blue eyes tracked the blunt and graceless shape of the long range transport Kinkaid as it finished its docking maneuver, and his ears twitched slightly at the sound of heavy grappling arms securing the vessel to the station. Minutes later, as Mei’konda reached up to adjust the black collar of the new-style Starfleet uniform that Command had recently instructed they switch to, the airlock doors opened and officers and crew began to file out.

Some were assigned to the colony below. About a dozen would be joining the Chin’toka for regular crew rotations while some of his officers and crew, who had requested routine transfers elsewhere, would be boarding the Kinkaid when it left. 

One face in particular stood out to him, and Mei began to stride forward, demeanor calm and collected. He’d dealt with many Vulcans over the years. He’d married a man who was half-Vulcan, and he found it natural to approach them with the sort of attitude that they tended to project to other races in the Federation.

Mei’konda: Doctor Solok. A pleasuure to see you again.

Solok: Response

Mei’konda lifted one of his own arms, while the other remained folded comfortably behind his back. He held his hand palm-forward and fingers up toward the other man, spreading his fingers in the Vulcan salute.

Mei’konda: Peace and long liife. I was glad to see that you had requested duty under my commaand again. The Par’tha Expanse is a very different plaace than the Shoals, but with some similar difficulties. Your experience will be valuable.

Solok: Response

Mei turned, and began to lead the other man through the busy corridors.

Mei’konda: Indeed. As you can see, Orbital Alpha is still under heavy construuction. A project thiis large, when we are this far from Federation space, is a massive undertaaking.

Solok: Response

Rounding a corner, Mei tapped the call button on a turbolift door.

Mei’konda: Yes. Your Chief Medical Officer is Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Snow. She’s brilliaant, and has saved many liives during our tiime in the Expanse. I’ll be happy to introduce you as soon as possible. The bulk of the crew is fiinishing up shore leave now, and will be re-embarking aboard the Chin’toka in two days tiime. Do you have any questions for me so far, Doctor?

Solok: Response

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Captain Mei’konda Delano

Commanding Officer

USS Chin’toka, NCC-97187

M239002M10