—- Docking Ring, Starbase 86—

Lieutenant Commander James Young watched the worker bees maneuver around the USS Luna installing a new sensor. There was some surface damage from space debris but nothing that unusual for a period out in space. They’d been refitted recently so this was not a difficult refit, but merely a restock and resupply while the crew got some much needed rest and relaxation. 

“Why are we the only ones who don’t get time off?” complained Assistant Chief Engineering Officer Vanessa Constable on his right. They were watching the work through large bay windows from the station, and not actually doing the work themselves relying on the dock’s staff to carry out their assignments.

”These dock workers see dozens of ships a month, hundreds a year,” Young explained, “I don’t expect them to be as invested in my one ship as I am. So I watch for mistakes, a bit of time spent now saves a lot later on.”

Constable shrugged, clearly unconvinced, “It’s not like you take much time off when we’re out of dock.”

Young shrugged, “It’s the job Ensign.“

Constable was about to argue back about work-life balance but let it rest. If supervising the resupply of the USS Luna was what he felt he needed to do that was his decision. If she ever made Chief Engineer she’d be able to make a different one.

”I’m going to go check that the service on the replicators is going okay,” she said finally, giving into this need to work constantly.

Young nodded, thinking she had finally gotten the point of what he was saying. He smiled at her, pleased that his example was rubbing off on the spirited but undisciplined officer. She smiled back and headed into the ship, immediately beaming herself from the ship to the station where she began to hunt for a bar. If Young wanted to work while on leave that was his choice, she was going to have some fun.

—- Black Hole, Starbase 86 —-

A number of the USS Luna’s crew had taken over the bar the Black Hole. Getting to see some place new, see some new faces and have actual alcohol was the draw. They had taken over a few tables, away from the Parliment-class and California-class crews who were also on the station on leave.  Though many of them had been on the USS Anaheim just a year earlier they still liked to think of themselves as an elite crew now that they were on a Luna-class starship. The science team had grown since then as the bulk of the crew had moved through serving first on the Rhode Island-class USS Seattle and now the Luna.

Lieutenant Commander Kenya Mason was the most recent addition to the science team, having joined from the station that they had saved. She had spent most of her career on stations, looking out at stars that people had seen already. Now she had a chance to go where no one had gone before, and it was exciting. Bonding with her fellow teal suited science types was part of learning about the ship, and its crew.

Jacob Siegel had been on the USS Luna since its launch. He liked his research and his histories, and cared little for the broader adventures. Captain’s had changed over, crews had come and gone, but this year had seen his first away mission and the first time a captain had ever wanted more from him than a background report on some situation that they were about to become entangled with. This was also the first time he’d allowed himself to be dragged out with the rest of the staff for drinks preferring instead a nice PADD and the solitude of his quarters.

“It’s nice to see you out of your natural habitat, the library,” teased Lieutenant Maria Cortez. She had been the previous Assistant Chief Science Officer but had the role given to Mason due to rank. She was three drinks into it now, eager to chat. She was likely the most outgoing of all the science department, or at least such was her reputation.

Well aware of that, and his own social limitations Lieutenant Siegel nodded and wished the conversation to end. He was not good with women, and managed to navigate life mostly by treating them like their male comrades and not seeing any difference between genders. It was less enlightened and more a survival instinct for him. He nodded, not arguing, “I like the library it’s quiet and I know my way around. It’s where I shine.”

They were joined by the Hazard Team Lead Rebecca Avila who wore the gold uniform of the security officer that she was. An outsider to the science team she’d tagged along because she tended either to work alone of with the entire Hazard Team, which was made up of officers from every discipline. As such while she had her office in the security department she tended to work alone unless training or in the field.

”What’s everyone drinking?” Avila asked, adding the important information, “I’ll get the next round.”

—- Arboretum, Starbase 86 —-

“Well,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Hume said intertwining his fingers with his fellow Lieutenant Junior Grade Rosa Flores, “It’s certainly bigger than our arboretum.”

The security officer laughed, “Bigger? That’s all you have to say, this is lovely. There’s nothing like this in Mexico City.”

Flores had been assigned out of the academy to a recruitment office in her home of Mexico City, and while she had joined Starfleet to see the stars her first few years she had lived at home, until she met fellow Mexico City native Captain Adriana Cruz who had taken her to space. It made her appreciate each new thing that they discovered more, and also fiercely loyal to Cruz who she saw more as an older sister than a Captain. While she was sure William Hume liked the Captain, Flores knew that she’d move planets if she could for the woman.

”Our arboretum is good too,” Hume said defensively, “besides I’m more drawn to the Pacific Northwest vibe than these exotic species that might be rare but nobody really knows.”

Flores teased him, “You’d be happy if every planet we visited was just a version of Vancouver.”

Hume nodded, “Sounds like heaven.”

”A heaven clad in flannel,” Flores joked.