A Matter of Ceremony
Posted on 16 Aug 2025 @ 6:42pm by Captain Sabrina Corbin & Senior Chief Petty Officer Elias Merrick
1,106 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Fractured Accord
Location: USS Arawyn
Timeline: 242508.16 "Tuesday"
=/\= Starbase 369 - Docking Port =/\=
Elias stood at the docking umbilical with two PADDs in hand. Already one too many for his liking. Quen had pressed the first into his palm as he said his goodbyes in Fleet Operations: Admiral MacLaren’s briefing for Captain Corbin. The other held his own transfer orders. He was curious about the Admiral’s message, sure, but it wasn’t his damned business.
When he’d told Quen, the young Ensign had blinked, caught off guard, but recovered quickly. She’d thanked him for their time together, and he’d offered the line he hoped would stick: “Admirals like MacLaren don’t waste time correcting people with no potential. Trust me, she likes you.”
Security at the docking port was sharp-eyed, as expected. Merrick already had his transfer orders queued on his screen before they asked, and the officers waved him through without delay. His duffel had gone ahead earlier; he carried only the PADDs.
=/\= USS Arawyn Corridors =/\=
Senior Chief Merrick took the long way to the bridge, passing through key decks instead of heading straight up, watching the ship at work.
The ship was alive with motion. Operations teams tested systems in open panels, science officers argued quietly over calibrations, and Engineering was cluttered with tools in every corner, crew popping in and out of accessways or leaning down from overhead grates.
To his eye, it was operations perfection. The ship was already whole and capable, but these tweaks were just icing on the cake. Elias wondered how much of it had Corbin’s touch in so little time.
=/\= Bridge =/\=
He stepped into the last turbolift of his extended route. When the doors opened, he didn’t pause to take in the bridge — his eyes went straight to Captain Corbin. He’d seen her before in Fleet Operations, but here in her element, she commanded the space completely. She wasn’t physically imposing, but there was no doubt the bridge was hers.
He entered the bubble and snapped smartly to attention. “Senior Chief Elias Merrick, reporting as Yeoman.” He handed over his transfer orders, giving her a moment to review before offering the second PADD. “And one from Admiral MacLaren.”
=/\= Ready Room =/\=
Sabrina entered her office, her box of personal items still on the couch in the corner. She carried both PADDs, and her desk was kept clear, as she preferred. She offered him a tight, professional smile as she moved to her chair, hiding the flicker of excitement at having such an experienced yeoman finally aboard.
She gestured for him to take the chair across from her and studied him with steady, blue-grey eyes. His haircut was neat, dark brown streaked with grey at the temples; tall enough to carry presence, lean but fit. His uniform, as expected, was immaculate. But it was his eyes that caught her attention most. Hazel, shifting between amusement and gravity, betraying more than the neutral expression he wore.
“Chief Merrick, your timing is impeccable.” Her smile was genuine, though tempered by uncertainty. Corbin had always flown solo without a yeoman, and the stubborn part of her doubted she’d need one now. Yet alongside that doubt was the quiet thrill of having someone so seasoned at her side, if she could keep him busy enough.
Corbin transferred his orders to her workstation and handed him back one of the two PADDs. Her eyes scanned his record, though the rank on his collar told her enough about his experience, decades of experience. “I will count myself fortunate to have pulled you away from Fleet Operations.”
She caught a flicker of amusement in his expression, the corners of his eyes creasing. “The Arawyn was too tempting, Captain. Challenging as my last post was, I think I can better serve you here.”
She’d dig deeper into his record later. For now, the second PADD nagged at her like clutter left unattended. With the ingrained habit of an operations officer, she opened a new section on her workstation, transferred the contents, and slid the now-empty PADD back across. “You’ll find I don’t like those things collecting.”
Her eyes skimmed the mission brief. Too simple, at first glance. She’d dig in later when alone. But her first thought was: “An escort mission? Really.”
—------------------------------
Elias watched her scan the rest of the orders. She paused, surprise flickering across her face, before she muttered, “A speech? I thought Admirals gave those at these things.”
He nodded, replying softly as she recovered, “She is.”
Corbin replied dryly, “Well, that promises to be thrilling.” She continued to read over the details.
Merrick added, “The daughter of the shipyard’s late chief engineer will be doing the christening.”
Elias crossed one leg over the other, settling back with a hand on his knee as he watched the captain take it in. Her expression carried more sympathy for the young woman than irritation at the formality. He gave a small nod as Sabrina said, “What a way to launch, I suppose. More public than the quiet luncheon I had pictured.”
—-----------------------------------
Sabrina let out a quiet sigh, though her expression carried a faint smile. “Well, I need to prepare some remarks.”
She lifted an eyebrow as Merrick said evenly, “I can draft a version for you.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she considered that. “We’ll see if your words match my tone, Senior Chief.”
She powered down her console and leaned back in her chair, recalling the engineer’s remark that warp would be ready after Tuesday, once the tractor beam part arrived. It amused her that he’d used a Gregorian calendar, and the thought sparked an idea to test Merrick. “What’s the day of the week?”
“Tuesday,” he replied evenly. Then, with a small smile, “Commissioning ceremony Wednesday evening. Departure from Starbase 369 at dawn.”
Sabrina gave a soft laugh. “Very good, Senior Chief. One last thing before I let you settle in. I know the Starbase seems to be organizing the bulk of this party, but I want some of our touches on it. It is our ship, after all. Work with Lieutenant Powell; he knows my preferences. Let’s put an Arawyn stamp on the party.”
She watched as he rose naturally, knowing the meeting was over. Corbin stood as well. “Welcome aboard, Merrick.”
He nodded as he took his leave. “A pleasure, Captain.”
Sabrina moved to the viewport; the saucer’s deck plating stretched across her view of the berth. Her ship. Her responsibility.
SChief Elias Merrick
Captain’s Yeoman
USS Arawyn
Captain Sabrina Corbin
Commanding Officer
USS Arawyn
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