[2009: JAN-FEB] Discovering an Inheritance

[+ TyrWaltas]

((Captain's Ready Room, USS Discovery))

::The graying Ba'ku gazed out the blackened window, watching the stars streak past as the Ronin-class traveled at high warp to her next destination. It was a mundane mission that would consist mainly of playing referee between two squabbling diplomats over a moon no larger than that of Earth's. He sighed, his mind wandering as it always did at moments like this. After a few moments of quiet reflection, he spoke.::

WALTAS: Computer, begin Captain's log.

COMPUTER: Recording.

WALTAS:

Captain's log, stardate 238601.15. We are continuing on to our diplomatic mission in the Avalon sector. The ship and crew are functioning well, and, without much more than the boring drivel that comes with diplomatic talks to ponder, my thoughts turn to the history of this vessel.

For over two years now I have been the Captain of this ship, bearing a proud name that stretches back over 700 years in time. I am honored to add my name to the list that includes names such as McCall and Nekkar, and the more ancient ones of Hudson. So much history comes when one utters the name...Discovery.

She was a wooden sailing vessel, barely able to keep afloat, laden as she was with supplies to survive the journey from her home far to the east. They sought the northwest passage, a route through the arctic north that would allow traders to take a shortcut if they dared brave the icy flows of what would become the Canadian north.

::Sipping his ice water, the Ba'ku Captain leaned back in his chair and smiled thoughtfully.::

WALTAS:

Nothing but the stars to guide you...it's hard to imagine. Rickety floorboards beneath your feet, the icy wind tearing at you, like the touch of a ghost beneath your clothes. Rats, disease, mutiny. Not the comfortable, spartan life that we enjoy these days. But it has a majesty to it that these cold deckplates just can't match. Things we leave in the past we seldom recapture, and that innocence, before we knew all the wonderful and terrible things that awaited us in the future, is one of the things that was lost.

::His eyes, still keen even in his 240 years of life, returned to the stars.::

WALTAS:

The Discovery's lineage could have stopped there and still held an honored place in the history books, but its name had a long way yet to go. She and her sister ships Endeavor, Enterprise, Challenger and Columbia became space shuttles, carrying mankind into space for extended lengths of time. The accomplishments of that era-the Hubble telescope, the first manned space station-still echo through history to this day. When disaster struck with the loss of both the Challenger and the Columbia, Discovery was the first to return mankind to space. The crew was fearless; braving their own doubts as well as that of their critics, and carried the name forward for many years to come.

::He paused again, his thoughts turning inward. The smile darkened a bit as the memories flooded back to him.::

WALTAS:

Then came the Akiras..the brave ships that carried the name of Discovery into the 24th century. I have had the honor of serving on each ship since that day, and though one was lost to a saboteur, the other fell valiantly defending the Starbase itself from a Romulan attack. It was a sad day when we decommissioned her..the Discovery-A..to the darkness of history.

Now, this log has come full circle, and I sit as master of the Discovery-B, a Ronin-class vessel with a name larger and more meaningful than any one man who sits in the Captain's chair. I have inherited a legacy that stretches beyond Starfleet, beyond space, even beyond the existence of any members of my race. And I am proud of that inheritance. It is a sacred trust that has been placed in my hands. I feel honored by the simple fact that my name will accompany hers..at least for a little while. End log.

::Smiling, Tyr returned his gaze to the stars as the Discovery dropped out of warp. Walking from the ready room he made his way to the center of the bridge and the empty chair that awaited him there. He rested a hand on it for a moment, then smiled and sat down.::

Captain Tyr Waltas

Commanding Officer

USS Discovery