A New Home

Posted on Sun Sep 20th, 2020 @ 5:43pm by
Edited on on Tue Dec 15th, 2020 @ 8:21pm

1,277 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Under New Management
Location: USS Valiant: Holodeck, Guest Quarters, Airlock - Starbase New Raven: Chandler Family Quarters
Timeline: Prelude

Commander's Daniel Gregory Chandler made his way along the corridor of the USS Valiant to Holodeck Two. The ship was a little less than two hours away from making port at Starbase New Raven and both he and T'Mira had packing to finish up.

It was something of a new experience for him, seeing his daughter every day. Despite them both being on Earth for the last five years, he had resided in San Francisco, while T'Mira had lived on his parents ranch in Wyoming. He had spent most every weekend with his daughter and parents, but it had been difficult for both of them since the death of T'Lana, wife, and mother to Daniel and T'Mira respectively.

His tenure at Starfleet Command had ended and his next tour of duty was a posting as the Executive Officer for a deep space assignment at Starbase New Raven. T'Mira would be unable to stay with her grandparents on Earth due to their advancing years and Daniel refused to send T'Mira to live on Vulcan with his late wife's family.

Daniel stopped before the door to Holodeck Two. He entered to find a holographic simulation of the foothills near the family ranch in Wyoming.

T'Mira had spent the last 5 or 6 years with her grandparents on their family ranch, at the time she had missed her father, and her mother, more so her mother since she had passed away. She had been an angry child when her father had first dropped her off promising to visit every weekend. T'Mira had been Angry, first because her mother had left her, then because her father had left her with her grandparents.

Honestly, it hadn't taken long for her grandparents to help her through the worst of her anger by teaching her how to care for the horses and tend to the gardens. Since her first lesson, T'Mira had never been far from her favorite horse Starlight. A pure white stallion that stood 16 hands tall and had a golden star on his forehead. Whenever she had felt angry, sad, or lonely, Starlight would get to run the back forty yards of the ranch with the wind blowing through his mane and T'Mira's hair.

As she heard the woosh of the holodeck doors open and sensed her father step onto the rolling foothills of the family ranch in Wyoming, it was on the back of Starlight that T'Mira sat looking back out over the land that her father had programmed into the holodeck chip for her. She turned to look at her daddy, "Hi Daddy," She smiled softly pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

Daniel stepped forward and rubbed the holographic horse's muzzle. He looked up at T'Mira. "Having fun kiddo?"

T'Mira swung her leg over the front of the saddle careful not to hit her dad and slide out of the saddle onto her feet. "Yeah, I just miss the farm is all," The 15-year-old admitted smiling up at her dad. "How about you?" She asked curiously.

Daniel nodded as he looked about the familiar terrain. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, wishing he could smell the scents of home. "I do miss it... Lots of good memories of home." He turned to T'Mira and jostled her hair. "Make you a deal. When we get to the station, get unpacked, settled in, and such. We'll both go riding."

She smiled at dad, "promise?" She asked knowing that he wouldn't say it if he didn't mean it. She was definitely looking forward to this trip now. Riding with her dad was always the best time she had.

Daniel pulled a finger in a criss-cross over his chest. "Cross my heart." He looked at his watch. "Computer, end program." The rural setting disappeared, replaced by the grid-like pattern of a holodeck.

T'Mira smiled and leaned into her father as they left the holodeck together. "I'm glad you got the position on the station I missed being around you dad." The young girl admitted.

Daniel gave T'Mira a gentle shoulder squeeze. "I missed you too kiddo.,"

"So you're going to be XO of an entire space stay huh? That's an important job right? how much free time are we talking here dad?" She asked looking up at him knowing she'd have to do her schooling too but hey small price to pay to be with her dad all the time.

Daniel gave his daughter a warm smile. "I will be fairly busy most days, but my evenings should be free unless I am on watch in the command center, but I promise to come home and tuck you in every night if you're not to old for that."

She was 15-years-old, usually, she would have said yes. but she'd been with her grandparents for the last three and a half years, so T'Mira wasn't about to say no to that. "Maybe I could come up to the command center every now and then to see how it's done?" She asked curiously.

Daniel stopped before the door to their guest quarters. He keyed in the door code to unlock the door as he glanced at T'Mira. "Certain areas of the station are going to be off-limits, but I will have a talk with the station Commander about escorted visits to the command center." He stepped inside their quarters.

"I think I can deal with that Dad," T'Mira said softly smiling up at him as they stepped into their quarters. "So when do you start though dad?" She asked curiously.

Daniel grabbed a couple of bags already packed and placed them by the door. "We'll arrive at the station soon and get our quarts. Tomorrow I will have some in-processing to do, including an interview with the station commander. I will probably be starting my duties the following day."

T'Mira grabbed her duffle and backpack with everything she was bringing with her that hadn't been needed to be in a packing crate so she could carry her things with her. "Ready when you are daddy." She grinned.

Daniel hoisted his ruck and slipped it on to his shoulders, then grabbed his duffle bag to carry. "It might be a bit of a wait at the airlock, but at least we'll be the first to debark the ship." He gestured to the door. "After you kiddo."

T'Mira skipped out the door and walked with her dad tot he airlock just glad she was going with him instead of being left behind again.

Daniel followed T'Mira out of their guest quarters and secured the door. He tapped his commbadge to inform the quartering section that the cabin had been cleared before continuing on to the airlock.

===An Hour Later===

A voice came over the shipwide communications circuit. "All hands prepare for docking. Those debarking at Starbase New Raven gather at the forward airlock."

Daniel glanced at T'Mira. "You ready?"

T'Mira had managed to wait by her father's side for this past hour as calm as a cucumber, but on the inside, she was a mixture of emotions that she didn't show on the outside. Fear, excitement, curiosity, each emotion warred inside of her. But when she turned to her dad, T'Mira said, "Yeah I'm ready," With an easy smile.

Father and daughter debarked the starship for the station and twenty minutes later, after a stop off at the housing division offices, opened the door to their new family quarters.

Daniel glanced down at T'Mira. "Well kiddo, this is our new home."

T'Mira looked around as she followed her dad into the new quarters and then went to go find her room.

--------------- End Log -----------------

 

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