Captain's Log: USS Archangel

levesley

Captain’s Log Stardate 102723.12

The USS Archangel has finally returned to Federation space. Our 9 month deployment in the Gamma Quadrant has finally come to an end, and the ship has docked at DS9 to give the crew much needed R&R as well as to give the Engineering staff a chance to give the ship the once over.

The deployment has served as an excellent opportunity to put the ship through its paces since its most recent refit as well as give me a chance to get to know her and the crew.

Taking command of a Starship not fresh out of space dock is always a tricky road to walk as a Captain. You have to get to know the crew and they have to get to know their Captain, beyond whatever they can access from datafiles.

The Archangel certainly has had a long career in Starfleet, though given the number of refits I wonder if anything of the original hull remains.

Still the Archangel and her crew have proved themselves over this recent deployment.

Our assigned mission was patrol of the vast stretches of Dominion space as part of combined Khitomer Alliance operations, to help monitor for any rogue Hur’q swarms. As well as providing support in the continued recovery from the Dominion efforts to contain them.

I must admit it was a strange experience travelling so freely in Dominion space.

levesley

Captain’s Log Stardate 102725.5

I was able to share some good news with the crew today.

Starfleet Command in its wisdom has asked us to remain in the area just in case anything occurs with the Breen. Apparently there have been incidents, though those are being handled and looked into.

Given our recent long range deployment Starfleet has given the ship and its crew a period of leave. In order to allow for an extended period of time off for all crew members whilst also maintaining the ship at some state of readiness that leave has been broken down into two weeks for each crew member over the next month.

My senior staff have divided up their departments so that half of the crew are on their two weeks leave whilst the remaining half are on lighter duties and then things will swap over. Given our posting here at Deep Space Nine, the crew has been told that leave needs to be taken in system, thankfully Bajor has more than enough to keep them entertained.

The crew remaining onboard until their leave begins will continue light duties to keep the ship at a state of readiness and my staff inform me that should we need to be deployed in an emergency that the ship could operate with its reduced crew without the need to delay in collecting the crew on leave.

The crew on light duties do still have access to Deep Space 9 for their personal time so any crew begrudging those on leave first have something at least to mollify them.

Of concern is the recent report from across Starfleet and our allies of random equipment malfunctions. Quite what these are related to in unknown but rumours are abound that these could be to do with some new technology installed on ships. I am thankful for our long deployment if that is the case. Regardless I have asked Engineering to run diagnostics and let me know if anything unusual is discovered.