Blowing the Dust Off...

Posted on Tue Aug 26th, 2025 @ 5:22pm by Captain David Hawkins & Commander Raiden Kosugi & Lieutenant Commander Mel Torma & Lieutenant Commander Dessa McCallum & Lieutenant Josey Wales & Lieutenant Edruj Daughter of Thrawn & Lieutenant JG Spencer Griffith-Bailey & Cadet Third Class Aarfa Barakzay & Ensign Kanan Mishra (Kosugi)

Mission: Just Another Day on Gladiator
Location: Bridge - U.S.S. Gladiator
3255 words - 6.5 OF Standard Post Measure

/// ON ///

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since David Hawkins had stood across from Hayter in that sterile conference room, navigating legal fallout over decisions that had nearly destroyed more than reputations. Since then, everything had gone quiet, uncomfortably quiet.

The USS Gladiator, once a sovereign-class symbol of Federation strength, pride, and unshakable unity, had now been stripped to bare bones. The crew disbanded over the past few months due to being reassigned, retired, or scattered across space . One by one, duty and circumstance pulled them away. And now, there were whispers the ship herself was next. Mothballed. A graceful death by silence and disuse.

David said nothing as the turbolift doors parted with a faint hiss, and he stepped onto the bridge.

Dim emergency lights hummed faintly overhead, just enough for basic movement. The consoles were dark, dormant... lifeless. Dust had settled in the corners, and protective cloths lay draped over workstations like shrouds over forgotten monuments. The hum of the once-proud starship was now a hollow echo of what it had been.

Beyond the forward viewport, space glimmered in quiet reflection. Stars twinkling beyond the dry dock scaffolding. Federation support vessels moved around her lazily, like caretakers tending to an aging patient.

He stood still for a long moment, hands behind his back, staring out at the stars.

“Computer,” he finally said, his voice steady but low, almost reverent. “Reactivate all primary bridge systems. Authorization Hawkins-Delta-One-One-Seven.”

The computer chirped in response.
“Authorization confirmed. Initiating reactivation protocols.”

One by one, the consoles came to life, humming softly. Status lights flickered on. Displays brightened. The warm, familiar pulse of the ship’s heart returned.

David let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t joy, exactly; more like relief mixed with nostalgia. He moved slowly through the bridge, uncovering one console at a time. Tactical. Operations. Sciences. Navigation. Each one a story. A mission. A decision that had weighed on him.

When he reached the center of the bridge, his eyes fell on the chair. His chair.

He stood over it in silence.

How many battles had started from this seat? How many negotiations? How many sleepless nights watching that screen, trying to hold a ship — and sometimes a crew — together by sheer force of will?

With a quiet sigh, he ran a hand across the armrest before easing himself down into it. He sat back, settling in like it was second nature. Because it was.

“Computer,” he said again, more confidently this time. “Status report.”

“Thruster systems: online. Impulse engines: primed. Primary systems: operational and standing by for launch directives.”

He stood again, stepping forward toward the helm. With measured hands, he pulled the coverings off the forward consoles, helm and Operations chairs. The lights blinked to life at his touch. Everything here, everything in this moment, felt right.

Sitting at the helm, he tapped the console with a slow breath, watching the readouts stabilize.

“Bring impulse engines to standby. Begin preflight checks. Let’s wake her up proper.”

The ship responded like a well-trained beast stretching after a long sleep.

David said nothing more, letting the sounds of the ship working fill the quiet. He didn’t need to speak.

The Gladiator was alive again.

And she was listening.

Just as he was about to move to the command chair once more, he heard the turbolift door hissed open.

From the depths of the turbolift Raiden stepped out. "Nice to be back on the bridge, and really good to see you on it as well, Captain." he moved to stand next to the command chair and David. "I hope that Hayter likes his new assignment."

David didn’t look at him right away.

Instead, his eyes lingered on the stars beyond the viewport... still, distant, constant.

“He doesn’t,” Hawkins said simply.

He finally turned his head toward Raiden, his tone even, but lined with something heavier.

“And you were in the room, Commander. You and I both saw how he took it.”

He walked slowly around the command chair and leaned one hand against the back of it.

“Hayter may act like he’s just pissed off at the world, but underneath that? That hit landed deeper than he’s letting on. Demotion, reassignment, pulled from his unit... it wasn’t just punishment. It was personal. To him, anyway.”

There was a beat of silence, then Hawkins continued, quieter this time.

“What you may not know is that JAG wasn’t just looking at him. Not entirely.”

He glanced at Raiden, the weight of command visible in his eyes.

“They were looking at me too. Wondering how he even got that far under my watch. They didn’t say it outright, of course. They never do. But every question, every look, every line in their carefully-worded statements? It was there.”

He straightened, exhaling through his nose.

“Hayter’s still wearing a uniform because I burned every favor I had left. I called in debts from admirals I never wanted to speak to again. But now...” He let the words trail off and gave a faint smirk devoid of amusement. “Now I get the privilege of living with that decision. And so does he. Hell, they pulled the Gladiator apart, both physically and spiritually.”

He turned back toward the forward consoles, eyes on the glowing helm display.

“Let’s just hope we both make it worth it.”

"I have faith that you will." Raiden answered softly.

The captain offered a slight smirk at his first officer’s reply, ever the optimist, as usual. He didn’t mind it, not really. Kosugi’s constant positivity wasn’t a problem; it just took a certain kind of patience to keep up with it.

“First things first, Dry Dock 7 is prepped and ready for the Gladiator. Once she’s in position, I want you to oversee the refit process. From what I’ve been told, we’re looking at a two-week window. That means any personnel issues need to be resolved before then.”

He paused, his tone sharpening just slightly.

“We’ve got the Gladiator back. And I want us out there, back in space, before someone at Command decides to pull the plug on us again.”

"Did someone say 'Personal Issues'?" came a familiar voice from the Turbolift. Tall, but mostly because of the ears. The presence of Callisi on the bridge brought back a sense of familiarity, a sense of family to the sacred ground. She was out of uniform, technically, wearing her flight jacket over a simple red t-shirt (the universal constant of apparel) and loose fitting pants. Over her shoulder she carried the one thing anyone in the armed forces would instantly recognize: A rucksack. Seems she still travelled light.

"Mel's throwing up in the head. Pathstone travel still doesn't sit well with her." she thumbed over her shoulder. "You don't want to be around when a Dalacari gets sick." she cleared her throat. "Permission to come aboard."

Hawkins turned slowly at the sound of the voice, his gaze settling on the tall figure stepping out of the turbolift.

The ears gave her away before the face did.

A corner of his mouth tugged upward—not quite a smile, but close—as if the ship itself had just exhaled a little.

“Callisi,” he said simply, the name carrying more weight than rank ever could.

He gave her a quick once over, flight jacket, civvies, rucksack slung casually over her shoulder. No regulation in sight, and yet… somehow, she looked more like herself than ever.

“You know the rules. Anyone who walks onto this bridge wearing a ruck and sarcasm gets automatic clearance.”

His eyes flicked past her toward the turbolift she’d come from.

“And if Mel’s turning green already, we’re definitely back to normal.”

He motioned toward the command deck, the faintest chuckle under his breath.

“Permission granted. Just watch the deck plating. Some of it’s still got dust from when they thought we were history.”

"Hawkins, I swear, if that's a Dust Bunny joke..." she shook her head, "You know I only recently found out what a dust bunny was, so.." despite it all, she smirked. Her cyclopean glance landed on Raiden, and she gave a soft smile, then blinked.

"You know the worst part about everything I've been through, Raiden?" she paused, "I have to tell you when I'm winking." she teased. she seemed in a particularly good mood at the moment. "It's good to see you both. When Mel got the call back, she sent me nineteen messages." her glance now even between the two of them. "She was very excited to get back out into the fray. Minus the entire 'fray' part, mind you."

Hawkins raised an eyebrow at Callisi’s dry comment and smirked. “No promises. But for the record, you walked into that one, Commander.”

He turned back to the console, but not before giving her a side glance. “Also… I’m officially logging that as your first documented ‘wink.’ Congratulations.”

The turbolift swished open, and the binary forms of Mel walked out onto the deck of the bridge. Smiles on each of her muzzles. "Hawkins! Raiden!" each exclaimed a single name, her excitement at seeing old friends again apparent. "Wait, wait... there's protocols here. *ahem*" she paused, "Permission to hug?"

Hawkins didn’t even glance up from the data feed. “Denied,” he said flatly… then looked up with a faint smirk. “Because you didn’t ask for double permission. Two arms, two voices. You’re gonna need two clearances.”

Raiden hadn't said much after that initial first sentence. He just faded to the side to take a seat somewhere. Giving a nod towards Captain Hawkins as to the orders. There was more he could have possibly said but it could wait. Calissi had arrived, and then Mel.

Raiden gave a soft chuckle at Calissi winking at him. He could tell she winked, but her joke was appreciated.

"Call it a rare mood, from seeing the home moons. Albeit briefly." Callisi commented, but Mel was not pleased. At least, even if she was kidding about it. "Now you see here, Hawkins. You know... for a FACT.... I'm not a double anything." the Dalacari commented.

"Mel… I don’t care how many voices you’re packing today, it’s damn good to have you back aboard," David replied with a slight smirk before he saw the turbolift doors swish open again.

The turbolift door hissed open And Josey stepped out and onto the bridge and went straight to his station at tactical. "Captain." He nodded to the other on the bridge. " It's good to see you all again. I was beginning to wonder if they had broken up our crew, But it's good to be back."

"They came close to it, Lieutenant. Gladiator was stripped down to framework after I was relieved of command of the Gladiator. They reassigned most, but I was able to offer you all your jobs back. I wasn’t sure there’d be anything left to come back to either…" the captain responded he he nodded to his security chief. He hadn't known him long, and not much about him either. But that needed to change, mentally taking note of having a one on one with his senior staff.

Edruj did not go to the Bridge, while she knew that there was an engineering station on the Bridge, she also knew that an engineer's true place was in Main Engineering with the warp core. When she stepped into engineering the core hummed with its familiar swirl of pinks and blue. It had been brought online and she grunted as she opened a channel to the bridge. "Bridge this is engineering. Lieutenant Edruj here. My engines are online without my authorization. That is without honor. But, all systems are online and ready for your orders. Give the word."

He tapped the comm panel on his chair as Edruj's voice came through. Her tone made him smirk despite himself.

"Welcome back, Edruj. The ship may be bare, but she’s still ours. I need you to oversee the overhaul and coordinate with dock logistics. Prioritize systems integrity and shield arrays. We’ll handle the cosmetics later... and… let’s do this one with honor."

It seemed as though Spencer was the last one to make it onto the ship and the Bridge. After all, what ship could fly without it's Chief Flight Control Officer? Since he was last aboard everything had changed and it appeared it wasn't for the better. In saying that though, he still had Opal, still had Rubi and his job, so he was thankful for those small blessings.

The lift doors opened and Spencer stepped out, his hands behind his back, and took a look at all who were gathered there. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" he said with his trademark cocky half grin.

Hawkins turned toward the familiar voice from the turbolift. The cocky grin hadn’t changed, and despite everything else that had, that small constant was grounding.

"Permission granted, Lieutenant—though you cut it a little close," he said, a dry edge to his tone. Then he let a beat pass, his gaze scanning the bridge, the crew slowly assembling again.

"They were prepping her for mothballs. Stripping the guts out of her. Thought we'd seen the last flight."
He turned his eyes back to Spencer, his voice softening just a shade.
"But I’ll be damned if this ship doesn’t see deep space once again. Welcome home, Lieutenant."

"Thanks, boss. Opal and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Spencer replied as he looked around before finding his tried and trusted station and taking a seat. He acknowledged everyone else already there with a nod.

Dessa McCallum slipped in during the conversations and chose to just observe rather than include herself in any of the conversations. She'd actually been on the bridge of the Gladiator once before, when it was quiet and she could have a look around.

"Everyone, take your stations. Let's get her moved over to dry dock," the captain called out across the group. "I'd say

Hearing the captain ask people to take their seats she took hers, though it didn't feel like her seat for some reason. Then again it never did the first time. It took at least two weeks to acclimate to a new assignment and a new crew and for them to do anything but blindly trust her merely because she was in the uniform with pips. She signed slightly and looked toward the Captain as he finished up a conversation.

Mel came out of her funk over the teasing, "You know if things went completely callip shaped, I could've seen about getting us all transferred to a Dalacari science ship. Oh you'd...."

"... love it. Nice and wide corridors, fabricators everywhere, responsive drone attendants. You'd have to get used to the gravity, though. But you'd be fine." she teased Hawkins, then her binary forms turned to really soak in the look. "It's really nice to..."

"... be back aboard. Something calm. Familiar. I like it. Though I'll like it more once we're underway." she smiled, in stereo.

[Embarklng Area of Gladiator]

His steps were slow, Kanan Mishra took in a deep breath before he stepped through the entrance onto the Gladiator. He had two weeks off, he heard about what they did to the Gladiator. And it gave him some heartache.

"Oof, this is hard." he murmured quietly. "Will Aarfa be here?"

She had turned up the gangway, bracing herself to encounter the 'altered scent' - the aspect of a place once familiar and laden with memories but now scrubbed and much changed - only to catch a wonderfully familiar scent! Her tail wagged as her ears oriented, picking up on her name. "Yes, she will!" she called, hurrying forward. "Kanan, I'm so glad to find you here."

Kanan turned with a huge smile, dropping his duffle bag and without a thought stepped forward and swept Aarfa into an embrace.

"Oh thank goodness!" he said with enthusiasm. "Glad you are here-" A couple of seconds Kanan then realized what he had just done. "Uh er sorry, didn't ask permission."

"No permission needed for close-pack," she said, returning the embrace. Then stepping back, she gave him a broad canid grin, making no effort to restrain her tail from wagging happily. "I was honestly a bit anxious about how it would feel coming back aboard. Meeting you here makes this so much easier."

Kanan gave a smile and picked up his duffle. "Lets get going and find out what's changed on the ship." leading the way to the turbo lift.

Once they entered, Kanan looked at Aarfa. "I want to get a look at the bridge, before we go see the rest of the ship. Need to take the opportunity and see what's happened."

She paused a second - heading up to the bridge seemed presumptuous, at least for her as a cadet. But she was curious, and if she was with an officer, it should be okay. She smiled. "Yes. Lead on."

[Bridge]

The lift doors opened, revealing both Kanan and Aarfa. Mishra stepped out and looked around, catching sight of those that were there.

"Just checking on things here, sirs." the security ensign offering as an explanation.

"Sirs," Aarfa said simply, nodding in both greeting and agreement with Kanan's explanation. She had been on the bridge only a few times, but still felt the impression of changed-yet-unchanged that had struck her in the brief passage to the turbolift. Here even more than elsewhere the frisson of dust burnt off of newly reactivated systems hung in the air.

Josey nodded. " It's good to see you again Ensign Aarfa, You've come far since the first time we met. I'm proud that you've held your standards high and have advanced yourself in your career. I remember the first time we met during that operation against that Cult and you told me there was nothing more important then one's pack. Good words to live by."

"Thank you, sir," she replied, and looked around at those present - all much above her rank, not people she knew like Kanan, yet they felt familiar; right, like pack should. "It is good to see so many of you here."

Callisi turned her cyclopean glance towards Aarfa, and gave a nod, "There's nowhere else I feel I belong more, than here." she said in solidarity.

Mel, meanwhile, eventually cracked that exterior and her binary forms smiled. "I mean, I wasn't doing anything else important, soooooooooo..." her forms teased, but underneath it all she was really happy to be back with old friends.

Raiden cracked a slight smile, at hearing Mel's excuse for coming back. He also noticed the arrival of the new Chief Counselor he had noticed her addition to the manifest, and also being the second officer as well.

"Greeting, Commander McCallum." Raiden giving a nod towards her.

His gaze went towards Mel. "Nice to see you again, Mel." Raiden giving a smile.

A check on the manifest on who had returned, Raiden looked to Hawkins. "Captain, we've got the greenlight to move the Gladiator to drydock. Ready for your word to be given."

"In that case," David turned to his helm's officer and nodded as he relaxed in his chair. "Take her out."

/// OFF ///