These are the Voyages (Star Trek)

It would not be entirely incorrect to refer to the last month as having been a challenge, but it if has been a challenge, it has been the best of your life so far. There has always been yet more to do, yet more to see, yet more to check and yet more to file.

But it has been worth it. Oh, how it has been worth it. You can't stop the grin that is on your face as you make your way to the shuttles. Sure, you could take a transporter, but it's practically tradition at this point.

When going up to your first captaincy, you take a shuttle, so you can take a good long look at your new ship before going aboard. And yeah, this isn't going to be your first time aboard, you've actually be all but living out of your quarters on the ship for the last week while finalizing preparations.

"Ah. Captain." You hear a familiar soft voice and turn. "Taking the shuttles up?" Your new first officer, T'Lainia asks.
T'Lainia is a bit... odd, at least for a Vulcan. The first thing that most people tend to notice about her is the way that she nearly always has a smirk on her face, followed quickly by the fact that the girl has a remarkable sense of humor. Not even for a Vulcan, just in general.

"It's the last time that we'll be leaving the planet." You confirm, "From here it's..." You pause, glancing around. Technically as the Captain, you do have the authority to reveal the nature of your mission to anyone you like, but at the same time the nature of the device that you are traveling towards is classified. "Well, we've got five years before we'll see the Earth again."

"That is true." T'Lainia agrees, shaking her head lightly. "It will be... interesting to be far away enough from Vulcan that father cannot message me to tell me what I disappointment I am."

"Looking forward to that?" You ask, and the Vulcan gives a sizeable smile as her eyes all but flash with joy.

"Honestly, while it was fun at first to bother him, the fact that he continues to message me is starting to tire." Suffice to say, T'Lainia is a little odd. She is a right riot when she's in the right mood, and a right terror when she's in the wrong one.

"Have you informed him that you do not wish to receive such communications?" Another voice asks as the two of you make your way into the shuttle bay itself. Again a familiar voice, you can't help but grin as T'Lainia rolls her eyes.
Leaning up against one of the shuttles is Ӕthon, your new Ship's Counselor. Next to you T'Lainia sighs, shaking her head. "No. I have not told my illustrious father that I do not wish to have him badgering me every week."

"This one has said it before," Ӕthon begins, "And this one will say it again in the future. The best way for you and your father to get past this... period of displeasure is for the two of you to speak to one another."

"And what exactly makes you so sure you know about that. You don't even have parents." T'Lainia almost snaps, somehow still managing to keep her voice level. However that was out of line, and you start to open your mouth to say something before Ӕthon laughs.

"This one will have you know that I have statistically the most parents out of anyone in the crew, numbering a total of two hundred and forty seven people involved in my creation." Ӕthon says, "This one would say that you know little of having parents compared to my own experience. Even accounting for the difference in our years."

Ӕthon is an android. An Artificial lifeform based off of the Soong research that gave rise to one of the most famous androids of the Federation, Data. Of course, Ӕthon isn't just an android, but is the first of the Fourth Generation line to have come online. For reasons that no one has been able to pin down, nor have been able to replicate, Ӕthon's personality formed far faster than the rest of their siblings.

Which means that Ӕthon may be the most advanced android in all of Federation Space at the time. They currently hold the record for the fastest ever completion of Starfleet Academy, at three years and four months. While still technically just an Ensign, Ӕthon additionally is a fully qualified Counselor, which is part of why they had applied for the posting on your ship.

For some reason that you've never really managed to understand, it seems to be both T'Lainia and Ӕthon's preferred pasttime to needle and argue with each other. T'Lainia says it's because Ӕthon is the best debater that she has ever met, and Ӕthon says it's because T'Lainia is very rude, and having positive social exposure may eventually teach the Vulcan the importance of manners.

You have to be honest, you aren't entirely sure what the android means by that, but what it amounts to is that you have a front row seat to a comedy show on your way up to your ship as the two snipe at each other. There's almost something playful about it, like a kit pawing at a string.

You sit back and watch as the shuttle soars up out of San Francisco Bay, and up into the heights, the blue sky slowly deepening to black as you exit the atmosphere. As always, there are hundreds of ships coming and going through the planet's orbit. Ships coming to the Earth Spacedock to refuel, or leaving for patrol routes, or coming in for shore leave. The flurry of action has been the backdrop for your life over this last month, and it is going to be odd not to see the hustle and bustle of life once you get going.

Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes to reach the Hestia, which means that you aren't going to be trapped with your First officer and Counselor for long enough for their light hearted bickering to get on your nerves.

Ӕthon brings the shuttle around a languid lap about your ship to give you one final chance to see the ship like this, before bringing the shuttle in to the aft bay.
In a way, the shuttle bay is almost like the outside space around the space station in miniature. With today being the day you set off, everyone is busy with their final checks. Making sure that nothing has been overlooked, and you have faith in your crew's skills and training that there hasn't been, but those very same skills and training are why they are doing the final checks in the first place.

"Captain on Deck!" A deep growling voice calls out. Even now, two whole weeks after first hearing it, the sound does bring a bit of a cheeky smile to your face. Scuttling across the ground is your Chief of Security.
Commander Kyyrecht is the oldest member of your crew, at just over 115 years old. Of course, for a Horta that's a spry nothing. Due to the more complex nature of the non-carbon based lifeform, Kyyrecht and the rest of his siblings require slightly different universal translators. A side effect of that is the fact that Kyyrecht had the ability to choose what his own voice sounds like, and so it is with no small amusement to you that he sounds like the vintage action hero Samuel L Jackson from nearly four hundred years ago.

Now, the moment that the Commander calls out your presence, everyone pauses for a moment, giving a brief salute in welcome. "At ease." you call, "We'll be casting off in an hour and a half, will everything be done by then?"

"Yes Captain." The Kyyrecht says with a deep chuckle. "Last of the preparations should be done in fifteen minutes, and these are the last preparations across the whole of the ship. Everyone else has already arrived and are ready."

"Good." You say with a smile. With that, the crew gets back to work as you make your way down the halls and to the closest of the turbolifts. "Bridge." You command idly.

Stepping out onto the bridge, you can't help but smile. This... This is the kind of thing that Starfleet lives for. The chance to go out into the unknown, to see things that no one has ever seen before, to meet people that the federation has never met before... and here you are, after years of hard work and dedication now about to sit down in the Captain's chair for the first time. Well, not counting the one time you were allowed to sit in the big chair during Captain's Day on the very first ship that you traveled on, the USS Appalachia, but you were just a kit then. Not even part of Starfleet yet.

"Captain! Everything up to snuff?" You hear a cheerful call from over near the Astrometrics console. It seems that your Second Officer is doing a last check of the route that you are going to be taking to the Gateway.
T'Makk is your second officer, which means that she is in charge if both you and T'Lainia leave the ship. Of course, that's less important a role than the fact that as your Third in command she is going to commonly be among the Away Teams.

As a former pirate, T'Makk has a remarkable sixth sense for when things are going to go wrong, and that means that over the course of her time in Starfleet she's never been jumped or caught off guard. Even better, the girl is a consummate negotiator, to the point where some people on her previous postings would idly joke that the girl might be part Ferengi. That's actually one of the major reasons that you picked the girl for this position.

Heading out into the unknown... Well, let's be fair. Of all the species in the galaxy, there are only two that have completely done with the idea of money entirely. Those two species are the Humans, and the Borg. Which means that in all likelyhood, the species that you might meet out on the other side of the Galactic Gateway are likely to use money of some kind, and having someone on the away teams who is good at making deals will definitely be useful.

"Yes." You answer, "Everything's as fine as I could have hoped."

"We're just waiting for the all clear then?" Your lead Comms officer asks from where he all but lounges in front of the Comms console, legs kicking back and forth over the arm of the chair. Delon is... an oddity in the crew. But not a bad one.
A former member of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan Secret Police, Delon had been sent to infiltrate Starfleet from the ground up and rise to a position of prominence before... Well, even Delon didn't know what his ultimate part to play was going to be.

But then... the Hobus supernova. Delon watched as Starfleet did everything they could for his people, even as his people rebuffed and refused their help. Even Spock, someone that the Romulans had some respect for, died trying to stop the worst of the destruction...

And now the near shattered Romulan Star Empire is placing the blame on the Federation. It was more than the man could bear, so he came forward and revealed the truth of himself to the Federation. You aren't entirely sure what happened after that. Much of the files you were forwarded were heavily redacted, but Admiral Picard said that he believed that you could trust him, which is good enough for you.

"Commander." You offer both as a greeting and a slight reprimand, quirking a brow as you look at his legs.

"We're moored Captain." The man offers in explanation. "Once it's time to actually set sail I'll be back to business, but this might be my only chance to hard test the comfort of these chairs."

It's actually fascinating to watch, the way that the man is capable of being so relaxed and unreserved when off the clock, and yet the very image of a professional when on the clock.

Settling into your new chair, you sit back, listening to the sounds of your crew moving about the bridge as you wait for the time to pass. Finally, the moment comes. "USS Hestia, this is Earth Spacedock Command." The voice of Space Command comes over loud and clear. "You are cleared for take off. I repeat, you are cleared for take off."

"Spacedock Command, this is the USS Hestia, we read you loud and clear." You say, glancing around the bridge at each of the people you have gathered together to help you on this five year mission. They are the best and the brightest that you could find. There is a hum as the hologram emitter comes to life, and the final station is manned.
Sir Halcyon Waves is your chief Science officer, however the uhh... particulars of his form means that the man is regulated to having to stay in Cetacean Ops. Of course, it seems that Halcyon himself is working on some kind of solution to that problem, but that means that at least for now the best that you all can do is use the holoemitter to allow him to interact with the rest of the bridge.

"Halcyon." You give a nod as the Dolphin nods back, before with a whistle he begins to scan the sector around you. With that, you turn back to the view screen. "Alright, Lieutenant Commander T'Makk, take us out on Quarter Impulse."

With grace and poise, the USS Hestia slowly pulls out of the Shipyard, before soaring free. "We are clear of Earth Orbit, Captain." T'Makk says, and you can hear the smile on her face.

"Well, we've got these new engines." You say, "Let's put it through it's paces. Start us off at Warp 2."

"Yes Captain." Deep in the bowels of the ship, far from anything that you can see, the Warp coils begin to hum, the plasma within roiling as power flows through them. The space in front of you compresses, while the space behind you expands, and the ship rockets forward, carried on the wave of spatial change. "We have reached Warp 2. Sitting at 12.69 times the speed of light." She says, and from over one shoulder, you can hear Halcyon whistle in appreciation.

"That's just under Warp 2.15 on the old scale." The Science officer says.

"Not quite as fast as I had hoped, but let's see how that changes." You announce. "Up to Warp 3."

The stars streaking ahead stretch more as the ship continues to accelerate. "Warp 3 achieved. 56.16 times the speed of light."

Delon, from where he sits at the Comms station nods. "So that's... Warp 3.35, right?"

Kyyrecht corrects the Romulan, but not unkindly. "3.348, but close enough."

"Better, better." You say, "And Warp 4?" You command.

The ships continues to accelerate, until it reaches the next level of speed. "Warp 4 achieved. 161 times the speed of light."

"So that's approximately Warp 4.6 on the old scale." You say, "That means that the higher up we go, the further we're getting from the old scale. Good. On to Warp 5 then."

Again, the ship continues to accelerate. "Warp 5!" T'Makk says. "Now flying at 365.5 times the speed of light."

T'Lainia speaks up from your right. "That would be just under 5.8. We might actually hit the speeds of Warp 7 when we go to 6. Fascinating." You can hear the sheer joy in that last word. "I'll have to speak to our chief engineer to see how he makes this miracle happen."

"Then let's see for ourselves. Lieutenant Commander you have clearance for Warp 6."

"Aye Captain!" All around you, the bridge is hanging onto every moment, the sheer excitement clear on all of them at just how much you are already making waves in the galaxy. "And reaching Warp 6... Now. Sitting at 713 times the speed of light."

Ӕtho grins from their spot on the other side from you. "That would be Warp 7.177387 in the old scale."

"T'Lainia, would like the honor of the next one?" You ask, and the Vulcan next to you gives a sharp nod. "Helm, take up to Warp 7."

Warp 7 comes out to 1255 times the speed of light, or Warp 8.5.

It is Warp 8 that actually brings the Bridge to silence however, as that comes out to 2048 times the speed of light. In other words, that is Warp 9.85 in the old scale, or the Max output speed of nearly every ship in the Federation fleet. At this point you are soaring at speeds that few members of the Federation have ever felt, and this isn't even cruising speed.

It is with a quiet voice that you give the next command. "Warp 9, take us to cruising speed."

"...Warp 9 achieved. Cruising speed of 3154 times the speed of light. We are at approximately 8.6 light years per day." T'Makk says, eyes wide as she looks down at the helm's controls. "There literally isn't a Warp Factor on the old scale for this."

"...Think we can push her?" You ask, and you can almost hear the whiplash of everyone's heads turning to you. Ship does have a 'Max Speed' after all. Let's try it out. Helm, take us to Warp 9.975."

"Yes Captain." With that, the Lieutenant Commander does just as you say, and the stars in front of the ship stretch out even further.

"Warp 9.975 achieved. Current speed 4599 times the speed of light. We'll arrive at the Gateway in just under 6 hours Captain."

The air on the bridge is heavy as the bridge crew tries to wrap their heads around the facts that have been presented to them. And honestly, it is your duty as Captain to not leave your bridge crew in a lurch. If they are completely out of sorts from the speeds you are traveling, then the rest of the crew deserves to be just as much out of sorts as well. With a tap of the console on the armrest of your chair, you allow a feral grin to slide across your face.

"To all hands, this is Captain M'Jel speaking. I thought it would be prudent to inform you that the new engines are working like a dream. We are currently soaring at just under four thousand six hundred times the speed of light. "Everyone give the Engineering Crew a round of applause, they deserve it for pushing the Hestia faster than any Warp drive before it."

From there, the rest of the journey is a peaceful one. There are no distress calls or strange disturbances, or anything of the kind. It's almost like the Milky Way is letting you all off easy as you go and visit her sister. Then again, the Gateway, while near the top-most edge of the Galaxy is still in Federation Space, and things have been peaceful, so maybe it isn't too surprising that everything is going according to plan.

Things continue to work exactly as planned as you arrive in the 'system' as it is that the Gateway is in. Really, there isn't any system, just a pair of star bases orbiting each other in the depths of Sector Space between systems. That's actually part of why the Gateways went undiscovered for as long as they have, because it is out in the middle of the boonies. You have a short discussion with the Admiral who is stationed here on the station, unfortunately, it isn't Picard, but you aren't going to say that to the woman's face.

Even better, traveling through the Gateway isn't nearly as discomforting as the visual effects of the gateway makes it look. Instead, as you ship flows between the brackets, there is a hum of energy, and for a moment two different sets of stars overlap in front of you, before the familiar stars of the milky way vanish, and you are here.

In the Andromeda Galaxy.

Now, in the time since first discovering where the Gateway led, Starfleet has been busy, scanning and examining the local space around the other side of the gate. So, no... technically you aren't the absolute first people to go through the gate, but really it's close enough for what matters.

However, what is more important is the fact that the Stellar Cartographers have managed to determine which Quadrant of the Andromeda Galaxy the Gateway opens up into.

[ ][Quad] Epislon
- Bottom Left Quadrant
[ ][Quad] Zeta
- Bottom Right Quadrant
[ ][Quad] Iota
- Top Left Quadrant
[ ][Quad] Kappa
- Top Right Quadrants

And, now that you are here, in this new quadrant, Which direction shall you begin to explore?
[ ][Explore] Out towards the Rim
[ ][Explore] In towards the Core
[ ][Explore] Galactic East, towards the Zeta and Kappa Quadrants
[ ][Explore] Galactic West, towards the Epsilon and Iota Quadrants

And finally, after a full day's journey, you find yourself discovering something interesting...
[ ][Discovery] An M-Class Planet
[ ][Discovery] A planet that should be M-class, but is dead
[ ][Discovery] You detect radio signals
[ ][Discovery] A derelict station
[ ][Discovery] The shattered remnants of a ship

EXTRA FINALLY:
Due to how I ended up generating your Bridge crew, their average stats ended up higher than yours, and that wasn't quite right.
So - Here's an additional 13 Stat points to allocate as you desire.
[ ][Plan] Stat bonus name
- [ ] Dip Bonus points
- [ ] Mar bonus points
- [ ] Ste bonus points
- [ ] Int bonus points
- [ ] Lrn bonus points